By 


UC-NRLF 


MILTOM-BRADLEY-COMPAMY 

SPRINGFIELD -MASS- 


A  KINDERGARTEN  STORY 
BOOK 


By    JANE    L.    HOXIE 


SEVENTH    EDITION 


PUBLISHED  BY 

MILTON   BRADLEY   COMPANY 

SPRINGFIELD,  MASS. 

NEW  YORK  BOSTON  PHILADELPHIA 

ATLANTA  SAN  FRANCISCO 

1912 


COPYRIGHT.  1906 
MILTON  BRADLEY  COMPANY 
SPRINGFIELD.  MASS. 


To      MY      FATHER 

whose  evening  story-hour 
is  the  happiest  memory  of  my  childhood 

this  little  volume 
is  affectionately  inscribed 


261096 


INTRODUCTORY    NOTE. 

A  number  of  the  stories  in  this  little  book  have 
been  told  to  thousands  of  children  in  the  kinder- 
gartens of  Boston,  Brooklyn,  Philadelphia,  Wash- 
ington, Baltimore,  Pittsburg,  and  other  cities.  The 
delight  with  which  they  have  everywhere  been 
listened  to  is  an  assurance  of  their  appeal  to  child 
thought  and  sympathy.  I  know  no  equally  simple, 
varied,  and  interesting  collection  of  stories  for  chil- 
dren between  the  ages  of  four  and  six;  and  I 
earnestly  hope  that  A  KINDERGARTEN  STORY  BOOK 
may  rapidly  win  the  popularity  it  merits. 

SUSAN  E.  BLOW. 


PREFACE. 

It  is  the  author's  aim  in  this  collection  to  furnish 
stories  for  the  child  that  shall  be  short,  simple  in 
form  ^and  familiar  in  subject,  that  shall  contain 
much  repetition,  rhythm,  dramatic  possibility,  allit- 
eration, and  also  onomatopoetical  and  imaginative 
qualities,  all  of  which  the  young  child  craves  in  the 
literature  which  is  presented  to  him.  The  writer 
has  striven  to  avoid  elaborate  introductions,  long 
and  intricate  descriptions,  and  all  those  character- 
istics from  which  the  child  instinctively  turns. 

The  matter  here  presented  naturally  falls  under 
three  heads:  first,  original  stories;  secondly,  favor- 
ite childhood  stories  rewritten;  thirdly,  adaptations 
of  popular  tales. 

Nearly  all  of  the  purely  original  stories  are  based 
upon  some  of  the  more  vital  motifs  to  be  found  in 
the  best  of  our  fairy  lore. 

Of  the  favorite  childhood  stories,  "Billy  Bobtail" 
is  evidently  founded  upon  "The  Bremen  Town- 
Musicians"  ;  and,  as  it  is  given  here,  it  is  an  adapta- 
tion of  a  story  heard  frequently  during  the  writer's 
childhood.  It  will  readily  be  seen  that  "Kid  Would 
Not  Go"  is  only  another  form  of  "The  Old  Woman 
and  Her  Pig,"  and  that  "Fox  Lox"  is  identical  with 


viii  Preface. 

the  tale  of  "Chicken  Little."  "The  Wee,  Wee 
Woman"  is  supposedly  an  adaptation  of  the  old 
English  story  of  "Teeny  Weeny."  It  is  given  here 
in  the  form  in  which  it  was  told  to  the  author  by 
a  friend.  "The  Little  Long  Tail"  will  be  recog- 
nized by  many  as  a  prime  favorite  of  their  early 
childhood. 

In  the  three  stories  from  Grimm  it  has  been  the 
aim  to  simplify,  to  .shorten,  and  to  eliminate  all 
objectionable  qualities;  as,  for  instance,  the  cruel 
step-mother  element  to  be  found  in  the  original 
Cinderella. 

The  two  stories  from  Mrs.  Ewing  and  the  adap- 
tation of  Saintine's  "Picciola"  have  proved  fascinat- 
ing to  the  childish  audiences  to  which  they  have 
been  presented. 

Simplicity  of  form  and  language  makes  it  possible 
for  the  teacher  not  only  to  tell  the  stories  contained 
in  this  collection,  but  also  to  read  them  to  the  chil- 
dren, with  good  effect.  Some  of  the  tales,  notably 
the  favorite  childhood  stories  rewritten,  may  be 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  children  themselves,  to 
be  used  in  the  primary  grades  as  supplementary 
reading  material. 

This  little  volume  is  the  result  of  several  years  of 
practical  experience,  and  it  is  hoped  that  it  will 
prove  a  valuable  addition  to  the  story  repertoire  of 
kindergartners  and  primary  teachers. 

J.  L.  H. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


ORIGINAL  STORIES.  pAGB 

DUNNY, 1 

LUDWIG  AND  MARLEEN, 7 

FROGGY'S  ADVENTURE,     .                 15 

WHAT  HAPPENED  ON  THE  ROAD  TO  GRANDFATHER 

GOODFIELD'S,          .        .        ...        .        .        .  19 

THE  LOST  COMB, 25 

THE  TOPSY  STORIES— 

I.     The  Coming  of  Topsy, 97 

II.     How  Topsy  Kept  Warm,       ....  101 

III.  How  Topsy  Mothered  Her  Neighbor's  Kittens,  103 

IV.  Topsy's    Hiding    Place, 107 

V.     Topsy's  Babies, Ill 

ETHEL'S  FRIENDS, 115 

REWRITTEN  STORIES. 

BILLY  BOBTAIL, 31 

KID  WOULD  NOT  Go, 39 

Fox   Lox,         .        . 45 

THE  WEE,  WEE  WOMAN, 51 

THE  LITTLE  LONG  TAIL, 55 

ADAPTED  STORIES. 

THE  BROWNIES, 57 

THE  FAIRY   SHOES, 63 

PICCIOLA, 69 

CINDERELLA, 73 

THE  HUT  IN  THE  FOREST, 81 

THE  SLEEPING  PRINCESS,        .  89 


DUNNY. 

Once  there  were  three  children,  three  brothers, 
who  played  together  in  the  sunshine  about  their 
father's  door.  Now  the  youngest  of  them  all  was 
not  as  large  and  strong  as  his  brothers;  and  for 
that  reason  they  often  teased  him,  saying :  "You  are 
not  as  tall  as  we.  You  cannot  run  as  fast.  See! 
we  can  jump  farther  and  swing  higher  than  you." 
If  ever  they  wrestled  together,  the  youngest  was 
the  first  to  be  thrown  to  the  ground ;  and  no  matter 
what  he  tried  to  do,  the  others  always  laughed,  and 
called  out:  "Oh!  you  are  so  stupid.  That  is  not 
the  way.  Let  me  show  you  how,  you  dunny!"  So 
after  a  while  they  called  him  nothing  but  Dunny. 

One  day  a  traveler,  with  a  wonderful  pony, 
stopped  at  the  door  of  the  cottage.  His  little 
animal  not  only  could  perform  all  manner  of 
curious  tricks,  but  he  was  the  most  gentle  little 
beast  in  the  whole  world  and,  withal,  as  sleek  and 
pretty  a  creature  as  one  could  wish  to  see. 

The  three  brothers  were  wild  with  delight  at  the 
pony's  antics,  and  gave  their  father  no  peace  until 
at  last  he  consented  to  buy  the  little  animal.  At 
first  they  were  very  happy  with  their  new  play- 
fellow, but  soon  they  quarreled. 


'     '       t  *    **C/    Ci*o  ***    '  '          '  *r 

•'•'.•  4  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

"He  is  my  pony!"  said  the  eldest. 

"He  is  not!"  said  Dunny. 

"Father  bought  him  for  me,"  said  the  second 
brother,  "and  neither  of  you  shall  play  with  him  at 
all!" 

"It  is  not  so!  He  is  all  mine!"  said  the  first,  as 
he  caught  the  little  beast  by  the  rein  and  tried  to 
drag  him  away. 

But  his  brother  snatched  the  bridle  also.  "You 
shall  not  have  him!"  he  cried. 

"Boys!  boys!  What  does  this  mean?''  said  their 
father.  "Why  are  you  quarreling?  The  pony  be- 
longs to  all  three." 

But  the  boys  would  not  have  it  so;  and,  at  last, 
the  father  said:  "He  shall  be  given  to  the  one  of 
you  who  will  bring  this  basket  to  me  filled  full 
with  the  water  of  yonder  pond."  Now  the  basket 
was  very  old  and  full  of  holes,  but  the  three 
brothers  eagerly  consented  to  the  plan. 

"You  shall  be  the  first  to  try  your  luck,"  said  the 
father,  placing  the  basket  in  the  hands  of  his  eldest 
son.  As  the  boy  walked  quickly  toward  the  pond, 
a  little  bird  hopped  along  the  path  in  front  of  him, 
and  in  a  sweet  voice  sang: — 

"Fill  it  with  moss  and  fill  it  with  clay,* 
And  carry  a  basketful  away." 

The  boy  did  not  know  what  the  bird  was  saying. 
"Out  of  my  path,  you  stupid  creature!"  he  cried, 

*  From  an  old  folk  tale. 


Dunny.  3 

flinging  a  stone  at  it.  But  the  little  bird  flew  away 
into  the  forest,  where  he  was  quite  safe.  When  at 
last  the  boy  reached  the  pond,  there  sat  a  great 
green  frog  who  croaked  in  a  great  hoarse  voice: — 

"Fill  it  with  moss  and  fill  it  with  clay, 
And  carry  a  basketful  away." 

But  the  boy  did  not  know  what  the  frog  was  say- 
ing. "Out  of  my  way,  you  ugly  creature!"  he  cried, 
flinging  a  stone  at  it.  The  great  frog  jumped  back 
into  the  water,  where  he  was  quite  safe.  The 
eldest  boy  covered  the  bottom  of  the  basket  with 
sand,  thinking  that  that  would  keep  the  water  from 
running  out ;  then  he  filled  it  to  the  very  brim.  But, 
though  he  ran  all  the  way  home,  not  a  single  drop 
of  water  was  left  inside  the  basket  when  he  reached 
his  father. 

Then  it  was  the  second  son's  turn.  As  he  walked 
quickly  toward  the  pond,  the  same  little  bird  hopped 
along  the  path  in  front  of  him,  and  in  the  same 
sweet  voice  sang : — 

"Fill  it  with  moss  and  fill  it  with  clay, 
And  carry  a  basketful  away." 

The  boy  did  not  know  what  the  bird  was  saying. 
"Out  of  my  path,  you  stupid  creature!"  he  cried, 
flinging  a  stone  at  it.  But  the  little  bird  flew  away 
into  the  forest,  where  he  was  quite  safe.  When  at 
last  the  boy  reached  the  pond,  there  sat  the  same 


4  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

great  green  frog  who  croaked  in  the  same  great 
hoarse    voice : — 

"Fill  it  with  moss  and  fill  it  with  clay, 
And  carry  a  basketful  away." 

But  the  boy  did  not  know  what  the  frog  was  say- 
ing. "Out  of  my  way,  you  ugly  creature!"  he 
cried,  flinging  a  stone  at  it.  The  great  frog  jumped 
back  into  the  water,  where  he  was  quite  safe.  The 
second  boy  covered  the  bottom  of  the  basket  with 
leaves,  thinking  that  they  would  keep  the  water 
from  running  out ;  then  he  filled  it  to  the  very  brim. 
But,  though  he  too  ran  all  the  way  home,  not  a 
single  drop  of  water  was  left  inside  the  basket 
when  he  reached  his  father. 

Now,  at  last,  it  was  Dunny's  turn;  but  the  two 
elder  brothers  teased  him,  saying,  "Of  what  use  is 
it  for  such  a  stupid  as  you  to  try,  when  we,  who  are 
so  much  more  clever  than  you,  have  failed?" 

As  Dunny  walked  quickly  toward  the  pond,  the 
same  little  bird  hopped  along  the  path  in  front  of 
him,  and  in  the  same  sweet  voice  sang: — 

"Fill  it  with  moss  and  fill  it  with  clay, 
And  carry  a  basketful  away." 

Now  Dunny  was  very  fond  of  all  the  wild 
creatures  of  the  woods  and  fields,  and  often  spent 
long  hours  in  their  company ;  and  he  knew  what  the 
little  bird  was  saying.  And  he  was  never  happier 


Dunny.  5 

than  when  playing  with  the  frogs  and  fishes  in  the 
pond;  so  when  the  great  green  frog,  in  his  great 
hoarse  voice,  croaked: — 

"Fill  it  with  moss  and  fill  it  with  clay, 
And  carry  a  basketful  away." 

Dunny  knew  what  he  was  saying,  and,  gathering 
moss  and  clay  from  the  bank  of  the  pond,  he  care- 
fully stopped  all  the  holes  and  cracks  in  the  basket. 
Then  filling  it  with  water  to  the  very  brim,  he 
carried  it  safely  home  to  his  father  and  did  not  lose 
even  a  single  drop.  So  the  pony  was  given  to  him, 
and  his  brothers  never  called  him  Dunny  again. 


LUDWIG    AND    MARLEEN. 

"Help  me  out!  Help  me  out,  little  Ludwig!"  cried 
a  great  red  fox,  caught  fast  in  a  trap  in  the  woods. 
"Help  me  out,  and  it  shall  be  well  with  you !"  Now 
Ludwig  loved  the  wild  creatures  of  the  forest;  he 
was  their  friend  and  playmate,  their  sorrows  were 
his  own;  so,  stepping  to  the  trap,  he  pressed  the 
spring,  and  the  fox  was  free.  When,  however,  the 
poor  beast  tried  to  limp  away,  so  great  was  the  pain 
in  his  foot  that  he  was  forced  to  lie  down  instead. 
Seeing  this,  Ludwig  ran  to  a  spring  near  by  and, 
dipping  his  handkerchief  into  the  clear  cool  water, 
tenderly  bound  up  the  bruised  and  swollen 
foot. 

"You  have  been  very  kind,  my  little  friend,"  said 
the  fox.  "You  have  saved  my  life.  If  you  have  a 
wish,  tell  me  what  it  is  and  it  shall  be  granted." 

"Oh,  as  to  that,"  said  Ludwig,.  "I  wish  my  little 
pail  here  were  full  of  berries,  for  my  sister  and  I 
are  very  hungry."  Hardly  had  he  spoken  when  his 
pail,  which  before  had  been  quite  empty,  became 
full  to  the  very  brim  with  great  delicious  straw- 
berries. Ludwig  ran  swiftly  home  to  the  little 
brown  hut  where  he  and  his  sister  lived  quite  alone 
on  the  edge  of  the  forest. 


8  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

"See,  sister  dear,"  he  called,  "what  a  fine  break- 
fast I  have  brought." 

"I  am  glad,  brother,"  said  Marleen,  "for  I  am 
very  hungry;  but  where  did  you  find  so  many 
berries  in  so  short  a  time,  and  such  delicious  ones, 
too?" 

Then  Ludwig  told  his  sister  all  about  the  fox,  and 
how  he  had  wished  for  the  berries. 

"Was  I  not  wise,  dear  sister,  to  get  such  a  good 
breakfast  for  us  with  so  little  trouble?" 

But  Marleen  was  not  satisfied,  and  cried: 
"Foolish  boy!  It  was  no  ordinary  fox  whose  foot 
you  pulled  out  of  the  trap.  If  he  could  fill  your 
pail  with  berries,  just  for  the  asking,  he  could  do 
far  greater  things.  You  should  have  wished  for 
something  better.  Go  back  into  the  forest,  find  the 
fox,  and  tell  him  that  our  cupboard  must  be  always 
full  of  food  whenever  we  are  hungry." 

"Be  satisfied,  dear  sister,"  said  Ludwig.  "We 
are  quite  happy  as  we  are.  When  we  are  again 
hungry  I  will  go  and  find  food  in  the  forest 
as  I  have  always  done  before." 

"No,  no,  I  will  not  be  satisfied!"  said  Marleen. 
"You  must  do  as  I  tell  you;"  and  she  gave  her 
brother  no  peace  until  he  went  again  into  the  forest. 

"How  now,  little  brother!"  said  the  fox,  when  he 
saw  Ludwig  coming  toward, him  through  the  trees; 
"is  it  not  well  with  you?" 


Ludwig  and  Marleen.  9 

"Alas,  my  sister  is  not  satisfied  with  the  pail  of 
berries,"  said  Ludwig. 

"What  would  she,  little  brother?" 

"That  our  cupboard  should  be  always  full  when- 
ever we  are  hungry." 

"Go,  little  brother,  it  shall  be  as  she  wishes,"  said 
the  fox. 

Now,  after  this,  whenever  brother  or  sister  were 
hungry,  they  found  plenty  of  food  just  to  their 
liking  in  the  cupboard;  and,  as  Ludwig  had  no 
longer  to  seek  for  nuts  and  berries  in  the  forest,  he 
could  play  all  day  long  with  his  sister,  and  they 
were  very  happy  because  they  were  never  sepa- 
rated. But  after  a  time  Marleen  refused  to  play, 
and  sat  moping  on  the  doorstone.  "Why  are  you 
so  troubled,  sister?  Come,  let  us  play  in  the  sun- 
shine," said  the  boy. 

"Why  should  I  be  happy?"  said  Marleen.  "Why 
should  I  play?  We  have  no  toys,  only  ugly  sticks 
and  stones  for  playthings.  If  you  will  go  to  the 
fox  and  get  a  beautiful  doll,  then  I  will  play." 

"Be  satisfied,  dear  sister,"  said  Ludwig.  "We 
are  quite  happy  as  we  are." 

"No,  no,  I  will  not  be  satisfied!"  said  Marleen. 
"You  must  do  as  I  tell  you;"  and  she  gave  her 
brother  no  peace  until  he  went  again  into  the 
forest. 

"How  now,  little  brother!"  said  the  fox,  when  he 


10  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

saw  Ludwig  coming  toward  him  through  the  trees; 
"is  it  not  well  with  you?" 

"Alas,  my  sister  is  not  satisfied  with  the  food 
always  in  the  cupboard." 

"What  would  she,  little  brother?" 

"She  would  have  a  beautiful  doll  all  dressed  in 
shining  silk." 

"Go,  little  brother,  it  shall  be  as  she  wishes," 
said  the  fox. 

Now  Marleen  was  quite  happy  for  a  few  days; 
but  soon  she  grew  tired  of  the  doll  and  again  re- 
fused to  play.  "I,  too,  must  have  a  fine  silk  dress 
to  wear,"  said  she.  "Go  to  the  fox,  brother,  and 
get  it  for  me." 

"Be  satisfied,  dear  sister,"  said  Ludwig.  "We 
are  quite  happy  as  we  are.  Your  dress  is  warm 
and  fine  enough." 

"No,  no,  I  will  not  be  satisfied!"  said  Marleen. 
"You  must  do  as  I  tell  you;"  and  she  gave  her 
brother  no  peace  until  he  went  again  into  the 
forest. 

"How  now,  little  brother!"  said  the  fox,  when 
he  saw  Ludwig  coming  toward  him  through  the 
trees;  "is  it  not  well  with  you?" 

"Alas,  my  sister  is  not  satisfied  with  the  doll." 

"What  would  she,  little  brother?" 

"She  would  have  for  herself  a  dress  of  shining 
silk." 


Ludwig  and  Marleen.  11 

"Go,  little  brother,  it  shall  be  as  she  wishes," 
said  the  fox. 

But  only  for  a  time  was  Marleen  content  with 
the  beautiful  dress.  "I  will  stay  no  longer  in  this 
smoky  old  hut,"  said  she.  "Go,  brother,  and  ask 
the  fox  for  a  fine  house  to  live  in.  He  can  give  us 
one  if  he  will." 

"Be  satisfied,  dear  sister,"  said  Ludwig.  "We 
are  quite  happy  as  we  are." 

"No,  no,  I  will  not  be  satisfied!"  said  Marleen. 
"You  must  do  as  I  tell  you;"  and  she  gave  her 
brother  no  peace  until  he  went  again  into  the 
forest. 

"How  now,  little  brother!"  said  the  fox,  when  he 
saw  Ludwig  coming  toward  him  through  the  trees; 
"is  it  not  well  with  you?" 

"Alas,  my  sister  is  not  satisfied  with  the  dress," 
said  Ludwig. 

"What  would  she,  little  brother?" 

"A  fine  house  in  place  of  our  poor  old  hut." 

"Go,  little  brother,  it  shall  be  as  she  wishes," 
said  the  fox. 

Soon  Marleen  wearied  also  of  the  stately  house 
in  which  they  now  lived.  "I  am  tired  to  death  of 
this  old  doll  and  this  empty  house  and  this  poor 
dress,"  she  said.  "I  must  have  something  to 
amuse  me.  Go,  brother,  to  the  fox  and  tell  him 


12  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

that  I  must  have  one  of  every  kind  of  toy  in  the 
whole  world,  and  quickly,  too." 

"Be  satisfied,  dear  sister,"  said  Ludwig.  "We 
are  quite  happy  as  we  are." 

"No,  no,  I  will  not  be  satisfied!"  said  Marleen. 
"You  must  do  as  I  tell  you;"  and  she  gave  her 
brother  no  peace  until  he  went  again  into  the 
forest. 

"How  now,  little  brother!"  said  the  fox  when  he 
saw  Ludwig  coming  toward  him  through  the  trees; 
"is  it  not  well  with  you?" 

"Alas,  my  sister  is  not  satisfied  with  the 
house." 

"What  would  she,  little  brother?" 

"One  of  every  kind  of  toy  in  the  whole  world." 

"Go,  little  brother,  it  shall  be  as  she  wishes," 
said  the  fox. 

Now  there  were  so  many  of  the  toys  that  they 
filled  the  whole  house,  and  it  took  days  and  days 
just  to  look  at  them.  At  last,  however,  Marleen 
had  seen  and  touched  every  one,  and  she  cried: 
"These  things  are  dull  and  stupid.  I  must  have 
something  to  amuse  me.  Go,  brother,  and  tell  the 
fox  that  these  toys  are  all  ugly  and  useless;  but 
that  there  is  one  thing  that  I  would  like  above  all 
else,  one  thing  that  would  make  me  quite  happy. 
Tell  him  I  must  have  the  great  silvery  ball  that 
hangs  at  night  above  us  in  the  sky." 


Ludwig  and  Marleen.  13 

"Be  satisfied,  dear  sister,"  said  Ludwig.  "We 
are  quite  happy  as  we  are." 

"No,  no,  I  will  not  be  satisfied!'*  said  Marleen. 
"You  must  do  as  I  tell  you;"  and  she  gave  her 
brother  no  peace  until  he  went  again  into  the 
forest. 

"How  now,  little  brother!"  said  the  fox,  when  he 
saw  Ludwig  coming  toward  him  through  the  trees ; 
"is  it  not  well  with  you?" 

"Alas,  my  sister  is  not  satisfied  with  the  toys." 

"What  would  she,  little  brother?" 

"That  the  great  silvery  moon  that  hangs  high  in 
the  heavens  at  night  should  be  her  plaything." 

Very  slowly  the  fox  answered: — 

"Go,  little  brother,  it  shall  NOT  be  as  she 
wishes." 

Now  when  Ludwig  reached  home  once  more,  in 
place  of  the  stately  house,  there  stood  their  little 
old  hut  again.  Marleen  sat  weeping  in  the  door- 
way, her  fine  silk  dress  was  gone,  her  beautiful  doll 
was  nowhere  to  be  seen,  all  the  lovely  toys  had 
vanished. 

"Do  not  cry,  dear  sister,"  said  Ludwig.  "We 
are  quite  happy  as  we  are.  Come,  let  us  have 
supper,  for  I  am  very  hungry."  But  alas,  when 
they  went  to  the  cupboard  it  was  quite  empty;  and 
ever  afterwards,  when  they  were  hungry,  Ludwig 
and  Marleen  were  forced  to  seek  for  nuts  and 


14  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

berries  in  the  forest.  The  great  silvery  moon 
still  looked  down  upon  their  little  hut  at  night;  but 
though  Ludwig  sought  through  the  whole  forest, 
far  and  wide,  he  never  saw  his  friend  the  fox 
again. 


FROGGY'S    ADVENTURE. 

"Knee-deep!  Knee-deep!  Knee-deep!"  came  a 
shrill  cry  from  the  middle  of  the  pond. 

"Better-go-round !  Better-go-round !  Better-go- 
round!"  croaked  a  hoarse  voice  from  the  bank. 

Now  all  the  little  frogs,  when  they  heard  their 
mother  call,  turned  back,  and,  swimming  far 
around  the  deep  place,  got  safely  to  the  shore. 

Did  I  say  all?  No,  one  little  frog  failed  to  hear 
his  mother's  voice  and,  piping  in  his  little  shrill 
tone:  "Who's  afraid!  Who's  afraid!  Who's 
afraid!"  he  swam  straight  on.  Suddenly  one  of 
his  hind  legs  got  tangled  among  the  weeds  at  the 
bottom  of  the  pond;  and,  though  he  pulled  and 
jerked  with  all  his  little  might,  he  could  not  free 
himself.  At  last,  after  a  long  struggle,  he  gave  it 
up  and  called  loudly:  "Help-me-out !  Help-me-out! 
Help-me-out!" 

The  other  frogs  heard  and  came  swimming  all 
about, — little  and  big,  young  and  old;  but  when 
they  saw  poor  Froggy  caught  fast,  instead  of  try- 
ing to  free  him,  they  began  peeping  and  croaking 
and  "kerchugging,"  until  such  a  noise  went  up  from 
the  pond  as  was  never  heard  before. 


16  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

The  little  frogs  all  sat  around  in  a  little  circle, 
crying  in  their  little  shrill  voices:  "Oh-he'11-die ! 
Oh-he'11-die!  Oh-he'11-die!" 

And  the  great  frogs  all  sat  around  in  a  great 
circle,  croaking  in  their  great  hoarse  voices:  "Oh- 
he'll-drown!  Oh-he'11-drown !  Oh-he'11-drown !" 

"Help!  Help!  Help!"  shrieked  the  little  frogs  in 
their  little  shrill  voices. 

"Help!  Help!  Help!"  croaked  the  great  frogs  in 
their  great  hoarse  voices. 

The  little  frogs  sobbed  and  moaned,  and  wiped 
the  tears  from  their  little  bulgy  eyes  with  their 
little,  flat,  green  hands;  the  great  frogs  sobbed 
and  moaned,  and  wiped  the  tears  from  their  great 
bulgy  eyes  with  their  great,  flat,  green  hands. 
Altogether  they  raised  such  a  noise  and  commotion 
that  every  creature  in  the  pond  poked  his  nose 
from  his  house  and  came  out  to  see  what  could  be 
the  matter. 

At  last  a  great,  friendly  fish,  who,  with  his  wife 
and  children,  was  summering  in  a  quiet  corner  of 
the  pond,  swam  up  to  find  what  all  the  noise  was 
about.  When  he  saw  poor  Froggy  struggling  to 
free  himself  (feebly  now,  for  his  strength  was 
nearly  gone)  with  all  his  friends  and  relations 
sitting  by,  sobbing  and  moaning  and  croaking,  but 
not  trying  to  help  him  out  at  all,  the  fish  flew  into  a 
terrible  rage,  and,  lashing  the  water  all  around 


Froggy's  Adventure.  17 

into  a  white  foam  with  his  great  tail,  he  cried: 
"Pull  him  out!  Pull  him  out!" 

But  the  little  frogs  only  wiped  the  tears  from 
their  little  bulgy  eyes  with  their  little,  flat,  green 
hands  and  went  on  with  their  piping:  "Oh-he'11-die ! 
Oh-he'11-die!  Oh-he'11-die!" 

The  great  frogs  only  wiped  the  tears  from  their 
great  bulgy  eyes  with  their  great,  flat,  green  hands 
and  went  on  with  their  croaking:  "Oh-he'11-drown ! 
Oh-he'11-drown !  Oh-he'11-drown !" 

"You  stupids!"  cried  the  great  fish;  and,  pushing 
the  little  frogs  and  the  big  frogs  all  to  the  right 
and  left  with  his  huge  body,  he  swam  to  little 
drowning  Froggy,  seized  the  poor  little  fellow  in 
his  big  mouth  and  carried  him  safely  to  his  home 
by  the  shore.  There  the  great  fish  left  Froggy  to 
be  cuddled  by  his  silly  brothers  and  to  be  crooned 
over  by  his  good  but  stupid  mother. 


WHAT  HAPPENED  ON  THE  ROAD  TO 
GRANDFATHER   GOODFIELD'S. 

"Oh,  I  wonder,  I  wonder,  I  wonder,"  said  Alice, 
as  she  trudged  along  the  dusty  road,  a  bright  tin 
pail  held  tightly  in  her  hand.  "Why  do  you 
wonder,  little  maid?"  said  a  deep,  deep  voice.  On 
looking  up,  Alice  saw  close  beside  her  a  great 
tawny  lion.  At  first  she  was  afraid,  but  the  great 
beast  looking  kindly  upon  her,  placed  his  great  paw 
softly  on  her  arm  and  once  more  said,  "why  do  you 
wonder,  Alice?" 

"Ah!"  cried  the  girl  crossly,  "I  wonder  what  is 
in  this  pail.  Mamma  has  promised  me  a  pretty  red 
sash  if  I  do  but  carry  it  safely  to  Grandfather 
Goodfield,  who  lives  under  the  hill  by  the  great 
dark  forest  yonder,  but  oh!  it  has  grown  so  heavy, 
and  my  feet  have  grown  so  tired.  I  must  go  quickly 
and  I  must  not  even  peep  inside.  Just  listen!  such 
a  funny  noise."  Alice  held  the  pail  close  to  the 
great  lion's  ear, — "Buzz  z  z  z  z  z  z"  came  a  muffled 
sound.  "Oh,  I  wonder  what  can  be  inside!"  she 
said. 

"Do  not  wonder,  little  maid,"  said  the  great  lion, 
"but  hurry  thy  little  feet  as  thy  mother  hath 
bidden  thee,  else  the  sun  will  be  in  his  bed  ere  thy 
journey  be  ended,  and  thy  little  bed  will  be  empty 


20  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

and  thy  mother's  heart  will  be  heavy  with  watch- 
ing." 

So  Alice  hastened  on.  Soon  again  her  little  feet 
were  lagging;  and  once  more  her  eyes  turned 
curiously  upon  the  pail  she  carried  and  again  she 
said,  "Oh,  I  wonder,  I  wonder,  I  wonder."  "Why 
do  you  wonder,  little  maid?"  said  a  deep,  gruff 
voice.  On  looking  up  once  more  Alice  saw  close 
beside  her,  not  her  friend  the  tawny  lion,  but  a 
shaggy  black  bear.  At  first  she  was  afraid;  but 
the  great  beast,  looking  kindly  upon  her,  placed  his 
great  paw  softly  on  her  arm  and  once  more  said, 
"Why  do  you  wonder,  Alice?" 

"Ah!"  cried  the  girl  crossly,  "I  wonder  what  is 
in  this  pail.  Mamma  has  promised  me  a  pretty 
red  sash  if  I  do  but  carry  it  safely  to  Grandfather 
Goodfield,  who  lives  under  the  hill  by  the  great 
dark  forest  yonder,  but  oh!  it  has  grown  so  heavy, 
and  my  feet  have  grown  so  tired.  I  must  go 
quickly,  and  I  must  not  even  peep  inside.  Just 
listen!  such  a  funny  noise."  Alice  held  the  pail 
close  to  the  great  bear's  ear, —  "Buzz  z  z  z  z  z  z  z" 
came  a  muffled  sound.  "Oh,  I  wonder  what  can  be 
inside!"  she  said. 

"Do  not  wonder,  little  maid,"  said  the  great  bear, 
"but  hurry  thy  little  feet  as  thy  mother  hath 
bidden  thee,  else  the  sun  will  be  in  his  bed  ere  thy 
journey  be  ended,  and  thy  little  bed  will  be  empty 


On  the  Road  to  Grandfather  Goodfield's.      21 

and  thy  mother's  heart  will  be  heavy  with  watch- 
ing." 

So  Alice  hastened  on.  Soon  again  her  feet  were 
lagging  and  once  more  her  eyes  turned  curiously 
upon  the  pail  she  carried  and  again  she  said,  "Oh, 
I  wonder,  I  wonder,  I  wonder."  "Why  do  you 
wonder,  little  maid?"  said  a  harsh  strong  voice. 
On  looking  up,  Alice  saw  close  beside  her,  not  her 
friend  the  shaggy  bear,  but  a  gaunt  gray  wolf.  At 
first  she  was  afraid,  but  the  great  beast,  looking 
kindly  upon  her,  placed  his  great  paw  softly  on  her 
arm  and  once  more  said,  "Why  do  you  wonder, 
Alice?" 

"Ah!"  cried  the  girl  crossly,  "I  wonder  what  is 
in  this  pail.  Mamma  has  promised  me  a  pretty 
red  sash  if  I  do  but  carry  it  safely  to  Grandfather 
Goodfield,  who  lives  under  the  hill  by  the  great 
dark  forest  yonder,  but  oh!  it  has  grown  so  heavy 
and  my  feet  have  grown  so  tired.  I  must  go 
quickly  and  I  must  not  even  peep  inside.  Just 
listen!  such  a  funny  noise."  Alice  held  the  pail 
close  to  the  great  wolf's  ear,  —  "Buzz  z  z  z  z  z  z  z" 
came  a  muffled  sound.  "Oh,  I  wonder  what  can  be 
inside!"  she  said. 

"Do  not  wonder,  little  maid,"  said  the  great  wolf, 
"but  hurry  thy  little  feet  as  thy  mother  hath 
bidden  thee,  else  the  sun  will  be  in  his  bed  ere  thy 
journey  be  ended,  and  thy  little  bed  will  be  empty 


22  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

and  thy  mother's  heart  will  be  heavy  with  watch- 
ing." 

So  Alice  hastened  on.  Soon  again  her  feet  were 
lagging  and  once  more  her  eyes  turned  curiously 
upon  the  pail  she  carried  and  again  she  said,  "Oh, 
I  wonder,  I  wonder,  I  wonder."  "Why  do  you 
wonder,  little  maid?"  said  a  sweet  soft  voice.  On 
looking  up,  Alice  saw  close  beside  her,  not  her 
friend  the  gaunt  gray  wolf,  but  a  little  child  like 
herself.  The  boy  placed  his  hand  softly  upon  her 
arm;  and  with  his  great  dark  eyes  looking  straight 
into  her  own  he  said,  "Why  do  you  wonder,  Alice?" 

"Ah!"  cried  the  girl  crossly,  "I  wonder  what  is 
in  this  pail.  Mamma  has  promised  me  a  pretty 
red  sash  if  I  do  but  carry  it  safely  to  Grandfather 
Goodfield,  who  lives  under  the  hill  by  the  great 
dark  forest  yonder,  but  oh!  it  has  grown  so  heavy 
and  my  feet  have  grown  so  tired.  I  must  go 
quickly  and  I  must  not  even  peep  inside.  Just 
listen!  such  a  funny  noise."  Alice  held  the  pail 
close  to  the  boy's  ear, —  "Buzz-z  z  z  z  z  z  z" 
came  a  muffled  sound.  "Oh,  I  wonder  what  can  be 
inside!"  she  said. 

"Do  not  wonder  but  let  us  look  and  see,"  said 
the  boy.  "No!  no!"  cried  Alice.  "My  mother  has 
forbidden  it."  "She  will  never  know,"  said  the 
boy.  "Only  one  little  peep.  Surely  it  can  do  no 
harm.  See,  I  will  raise  the  cover  for  you."  "No! 


On  the  Road  to  Grandfather  Goodfield's.     23 

no!"  said  Alice  and,  tightly  clasping  the  pail,  she 
started  again  upon  her  journey. 

"You  are  so  tired,"  called  the  boy  running  after, 
"do  but  stop  and  rest  awhile.  See,  your  feet  are 
really  bleeding  from  the  sharp  stones  you  have 
traveled  over.  Look,  what  a  soft  green  bank 
yonder  under  the  shade  of  that  great  tree.  Do  but 
sit  down  upon  it  for  a  moment.  You  will  be  able 
to  go  on  all  the  faster  after  a  quiet  rest,  then  I  will 
go  with  you." 

Now  Alice  was  really  very  tired  indeed;  and  the 
bank  with  its  cool  shade  looked  so  tempting  that  at 
last  she  seated  herself  upon  it,  letting  her  feet  sink 
deep  into  its  mossy  side.  She  clasped  the  precious 
pail  tightly  in  her  hands,  but  the  noise  inside  grew 
louder,  and  now  it  had  an  angry  sound.  "Oh,  I 
wonder  what  it  can  be!"  said  Alice. 

"Do  let  me  take  the  pail  for  a  moment,"  said  the 
boy  drawing  it  gently  from  her  hand.  "Now  I 
will  peep  inside.  What  harm  can  it  do?  See,  I 
will  lift  the  cover  ever  so  gently."  He  put  his  eye 
to  the  crack,  when  suddenly  the  cover  slipped  from 
his  hand  and  rolled  away  upon  the  bank.  A  great 
swarm  of  angry,  buzzing  creatures  flew  into  his 
face.  He  struck  at  them  with  his  hands,  but  it 
was  of  no  use.  They  stung  and  stung  him.  "Alice ! 
Alice!"  he  cried,  "oh,  I  am  stung!  I  am  stung!" 
The  girl  sprang  quickly  to  help  him  but  the  angry 


24  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

bees  flew  at  her  also  and  stung  her  tender  hands 
and  face  until  she  cried  out  with  the  pain.  "Oh, 
what  have  we  done!  What  have  we  done!"  and, 
snatching  the  cover,  Alice  tried  to  place  it  upon 
the  pail  again  —  but  too  late,  for  not  a  single  bee 
was  left  inside.  For  a  little  time  the  air  was 
filled  with  angry  buzzing,  but  soon  the  bees  flew 
far  away  into  the  wood  and  Alice  and  her  friend 
were  left  alone. 

Smarting  with  pain  the  girl  turned  toward  her 
home.  Her  little  feet  moved  wearily,  and  the 
empty  pail  hung  loosely  on  her  arm.  That  night 
she  cried  herself  to  sleep  in  mother's  arms,  but  the 
pretty  red  sash  was  never  worn  by  Alice,  except 
sometimes  in  her  dreams. 


THE    LOST    COMB. 

One  day  while  Lesa  was  picking  flowers  in  the 
wood  the  beautiful  golden  comb  that  she  always 
wore  fell  out  of  her  hair  and  was  lost.  She 
searched  and  she  searched,  but  she  could  not  find  it. 
At  last  she  began  to  cry,  and  she  cried  and  she 
cried. 

Just  then  along  came  Rollicking  Robin. 

"Oh,  do  help  me,  Rollicking  Robin!"  sobbed  Lesa. 
"I  have  lost  my  comb,  my  golden  comb.  What 
shall  I  do?  My  mother  will  fret,  my  father  will 
scold,  my  little  sister  will  cry,  and  some  harm  will 
surely  come  to  me  if  I  do  not  find  it." 

"Cheer  up,  cheer  up,  cheer  up!  I'll  go  seek  it." 
sang  Rollicking  Robin.  "I  will  find  your  golden 
comb,  have  no  fear." 

So  he  looked  and  he  looked  and  he  looked,  but  no 
comb  could  he  find. 

Just  then  along  came  Busy  Bee. 

"Oh,  do  help  me,  Busy  Bee!"  sobbed  Lesa.  "I 
have  lost  my  comb,  my  golden  comb.  What  shall  I 
do?  My  mother  will  fret,  my  father  will  scold, 
my  little  sister  will  cry,  and  some  harm  will  surely 
come  to  me  if  I  do  not  find  it." 

"Buzz,    buzz,    buzz!     I'll   go    seek    it,"    hummed 


26  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

Busy  Bee.  "I  will  find  your  golden  comb,  have  no 
fear." 

So  she  looked  and  she  looked  and  she  looked,  but 
no  comb  could  she  find. 

Just  then  along  came  Fleet-footed  Field  Mouse. 

"Oh,  do  help  me,  Fleet-footed  Field  Mouse!" 
sobbed  Lesa.  "I  have  lost  my  comb,  my  golden 
comb.  What  shall  I  do?  My  mother  will  fret, 
my  father  will  scold,  my  little  sister  will  cry,  and 
some  harm  will  surely  come  to  me  if  I  do  not 
find  it." 

"Eep,  eep,  eep!  I'll  go  seek  it,"  squeaked  Fleet- 
footed  Field  Mouse.  "I  will  find  your  golden  comb, 
have  no  fear." 

So  he  looked  and  he  looked  and  he  looked,  but  no 
comb  could  he  find. 

Just  then  along  came  Chirping  Cricket. 

"Oh,  do  help  me,  Chirping  Cricket!"  sobbed 
Lesa.  "I  have  lost  my  comb,  my  golden  comb. 
What  shall  I  do?  My  mother  will  fret,  my  father 
will  scold,  my  little  sister  will  cry,  and  some  harm 
will  surely  come  to  me  if  I  do  not  find  it." 

"Chirp,  chirp,  chirp!  I'll  go  seek  it,"  piped 
Chirping  Cricket.  "I  will  find  your  golden  comb, 
have  no  fear." 

So  he  looked  and  he  looked  and  he  looked,  but  no 
comb  could  he  find. 

Just   then    along    came    Gliding   Brown    Snake. 


The  Lost  Comb.  27 

"Oh,  do  help  me,  Gliding  Brown  Snake!"  sobbed 
Lesa.  "I  have  lost  my  comb,  my  golden  comb. 
What  shall  I  do?  My  mother  will  fret,  my  father 
will  scold,  my  little  sister  will  cry,  and  some  harm 
will  surely  come  to  me  if  I  do  not  find  it." 

"Sssssssss!  I'll  go  seek  it,"  hissed  Gliding 
Brown  Snake.  "I  will  find  your  golden  comb,  have 
no  fear." 

So  he  looked  and  he  looked  and  he  looked,  but  no 
comb  could  he  find. 

Just  then  along  came  Cunning  Black  Ant. 

"Oh,  do  help  me,  Cunning  Black  Ant!"  sobbed 
Lesa.  "I  have  lost  my  comb,  my  golden  comb. 
What  shall  I  do?  My  mother  will  fret,  my  father 
will  scold,  my  little  sister  will  cry,  and  some  harm 
will  surely  come  to  me  if  I  do  not  find  it." 

"I'll  go  seek  it,"  said  Cunning  Black  Ant.  "I 
will  find  your  golden  comb,  have  no  fear." 

So  she  looked  and  she  looked  and  she  looked,  but 
no  comb  could  she  find. 

Just  then  along  came  Flitting  Butterfly. 

"Oh,  do  help  me,  Flitting  Butterfly!"  sobbed 
Lesa.  "I  have  lost  my  comb,  my  golden  comb. 
What  shall  I  do?  My  mother  will  fret,  my  father 
will  scold,  my  little  sister  will  cry,  and  some  harm 
will  surely  come  to  me  if  I  do  not  find  it." 

"Ill  go  seek  it,"  said  Flitting  Butterfly.  "I  will 
find  your  golden  comb,  have  no  fear." 


28  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

So  she  looked  and  she  looked  and  she  looked,  but 
no  comb  could  she  find. 

Just   then    along   came    Wrinkled    Brown    Toad. 

"Oo-o-o-o!  You  ugly  thing!  Out  of  my  sight!" 
cried  Lesa.  "I  have  trouble  enough  without  you! 
I  have  lost  my  comb,  my  golden  comb!  No  one 
can  find  it!  Oh,  what  shall  I  do?" 

"1*11  go  seek  it,"  croaked  Wrinkled  Brown  Toad. 
"I  will  find  your  golden  comb,  have  no  fear." 

"You  find  my  comb!"  cried  Lesa.  "If  Rollicking 
Robin  and  Busy  Bee  and  Fleet-footed  Field  Mouse 
and  Chirping  Cricket  and  Gliding  Brown  Snake 
and  Cunning  Black  Ant  and  Flitting  Butterfly  can- 
not help  me,  how  can  such  a  stupid,  ugly,  hobbling 
thing  as  you  find  my  golden  comb?  Be  off!  Get 
out  of  my  sight!" 

Poor  Wrinkled  Brown  Toad  hopped  away  and 
Lesa  was  left  alone.  "Oh,  what  shall  I  do?  What 
shall  I  do?"  she  cried.  "Oh,  my  comb,  my  golden 
comb!  Some  harm  will  surely  come  to  me  if  I  do 
not  find  it!"  And,  throwing  herself  upon  the 
ground,  Lesa  sobbed  as  if  her  heart  would  break. 

For  a  long  time  this  forlorn  little  girl  lay  with 
her  face  buried  in  the  moss  and  leaves.  Suddenly 
she  heard  a  strange  noise  behind  her.  She  sprang 
to  her  feet  and,  turning,  saw  coming  toward  her 
with  great  flying  leaps  —  whom  do  you  suppose? 
Yes,  it  was  Wrinkled  Brown  Toad  again.  And 


The  Lost  Comb.  29 

what  do  you  suppose  he  held  in  his  ugly  jaws? 
Yes,  it  was  Lesa's  golden  comb. 

"Oh,  there  it  is !  There  it  is !  Oh,  I'm  so  glad,  so 
glad!"  cried  Lesa.  Oh,  thank  you!  Thank  you! 
Where  did  you  find  it?  I'm  sorry  I  was  cross! 
I'm  sorry  I  called  you  stupid  and  ugly  and  hobbling ! 
You  have  bright  eyes.  I  did  not  notice  them 
before.  Yes,  they  are  really  beautiful,  all  golden 
like  my  comb." 

And  Lesa  bent  and  stroked  Wrinkled  Brown 
Toad  on  his  ugly  head;  and,  ever  after  that,  they 
were  friends. 


BILLY    BOBTAIL. 

Once  upon  a  time  a  little  boy  named  Billy  Bob- 
tail went  to  seek  his  fortune;  and  on  the  road  he 
met  a  bull. 

"Moo,  moo,  moo!"  said  the  bull.  "Where  are 
you  going,  Billy  Bobtail?" 

"Oh,  I'm  going  to  seek  my  fortune!"  said  Billy 
Bobtail. 

"May  I  go,  too?"  said  the  bull. 

"No,"  said  Billy  Bobtail. 

"Yes,  I  will,"  said  the  bull. 

"Well,    then,    come    along,"    said    Billy   Bobtail. 

So  the  bull  followed  on  after  Billy  Bobtail. 

They  went  along  a  little  way  farther,  and  met  a 
goat. 

"Baa,  baa,  baa!"  said  the  goat.  "Where  are  you 
going,  Billy  Bobtail?" 

"Oh,  I'm  going  to  seek  my  fortune!"  said  Billy 
Bobtail. 

"May  I  go,  too?"  said  the  goat. 

"No,"  said  Billy  Bobtail. 

"Yes,  I  will,"  said  the  goat. 

"Well,    then,    come    along,"    said    Billy    Bobtail. 

So  the  goat  followed  on  after  Billy  Bobtail. 


32  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

They  went  along  a  little  way  farther  and  met  a 
sheep. 

"Maa,  maa,  maa!"  said  the  sheep.  "Where  are 
you  going,  Billy  Bobtail?" 

"Oh,  I'm  going  to  seek  my  fortune!"  said  Billy 
Bobtail. 

"May  I  go,  too?"  said  the  sheep. 

"No,"  said  Billy  Bobtail. 

"Yes,  I  will,"  said  the  sheep. 

"Well,    then,    come    along,"    said    Billy    Bobtail. 

So   the   sheep    followed   on   after   Billy   Bobtail. 

They  went  along  a  little  way  farther  and  met  a 

pig. 

"Wee,  wee,  wee!"  said  the  pig.  "Where  are  you 
going,  Billy  Bobtail?" 

"Oh,  I'm  going  to  seek  my  fortune!"  said  Billy 
Bobtail. 

"May  I  go,  too?"  said  the  pig. 

"No,"  said  Billy  Bobtail. 

"Yes,  I  will,"  said  the  pig. 

"Well,    then,    come    along,"    said    Billy    Bobtail. 

So  the  pig  followed  on  after  Billy  Bobtail. 

They  went  along  a  little  way  farther  and  met  a 
dog. 

"Bow,  wow,  wow!"  said  the  dog.  "Where  are 
you  going,  Billy  Bobtail?" 

"Oh,  I'm  going  to  seek  my  fortune!"  said  Billy 
Bobtail. 


Billy  Bobtail  33 

"May  I  go,  too?"  said  the  dog. 

"No,"  said  Billy  Bobtail. 

"Yes,  I  will,"  said  the  dog. 

"Well,    .then,    come    along,"    said    Billy    Bobtail. 

So  the  dog  followed  on  after  Billy  Bobtail. 

They  went  along  a  little  way  farther  and  met  a 
cat. 

"Meow,  meow,  meow!"  said  the  cat.  "Where 
are  you  going,  Billy  Bobtail?" 

"Oh,  I'm  going  to  seek  my  fortune!"  said  Billy 
Bobtail. 

"May  I  go,  too?"  said  the  cat. 

"No,"  said  Billy  Bobtail. 

"Yes,  I  will,"  said  the  cat. 

"Well,    then,    come    along,"    said    Billy    Bobtail. 

So  the  cat  followed  on  after  Billy  Bobtail. 

They  went  along  a  little  way  farther  and  met  a 
turkey. 

"Gobble,  gobble,  gobble!"  said  the  turkey. 
"Where  are  you  going,  Billy  Bobtail?" 

"Oh,  I'm  going  to  seek  my  fortune!"  said  Billy 
Bobtail. 

"May  I  go,  too?"  said  the  turkey. 

"No,"  said  Billy  Bobtail. 

"Yes,  I  will,"  said  the  turkey. 

"Well,    then,    come    along,"    said    Billy    Bobtail. 

So  the  turkey  followed  on  after  Billy  Bobtail. 


34  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

They  went  along  a  little  way  farther  and  met  a 
rooster. 

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"  said  the  rooster.  "Where 
are  you  going,  Billy  Bobtail?" 

"Oh,  I'm  going  to  seek  my  fortune!"  said  Billy 
Bobtail. 

"May  I  go,  too?"  said  the  rooster. 

"No,"  said  Billy  Bobtail. 

"Yes,  I  will,"  said  the  rooster. 

"Well,    then,    come    along,"    said    Billy    Bobtail. 

So  the  rooster  followed  on  after  Billy  Bobtail. 

They  went  along  a  little  way  farther  and  met  a 
hen. 

"Cut-cut-cut-cut-ka-dat-cut!"  said  the  hen. 
"Where  are  you  going,  Billy  Bobtail?" 

"Oh,  I'm  going  to  seek  my  fortune!"  said  Billy 
Bobtail. 

"May  I  go,  too?"  said  the  hen. 

"No,"  said  Billy  Bobtail. 

"Yes,  I  will,"  said  the  hen. 

"Well,    then,    come    along,"    said    Billy    Bobtail. 

So  the  hen  followed  on  after  Billy  Bobtail.  And 
there  they  were, —  first  Billy  Bobtail  and  then  the 
bull  and  then  the  goat  and  then  the  sheep  and  then 
the  pig  and  then  the  dog  and  then  the  cat  and  then 
the  turkey  and  then  the  rooster  and  then  the  hen, — 
all  following  on  after  Billy  Bobtail.  On  and  on 
they  walked.  All  day  long  they  traveled;  and. 


Bitty  Bobtail.  35 

just  as  it  began  to  grow  dark,  they  came  to  a  deep, 
deep  wood.  It  looked  so  dark  that  Billy  Bobtail 
almost  felt  afraid.  "Never  mind!"  said  he,  "if 
anything  tries  to  hurt  us,  I  can  whistle  and  throw 
stones." 

"And   I   can   bellow   and   hook,"   said   the   bull. 

"And  I  can  butt  and  bleat,"  said  the  goat. 

"And  I  can  butt  and  bleat,"  said  the  sheep. 

"And  I  can  squeal  and  bite,"  said  the  pig. 

"And  I  can  bark  and  bite,"  said  the  dog. 

"And   I   can   mew   and   scratch,"    said   the   cat. 

"And  I  can  gobble,"  said  the  turkey. 

"And  I  can  crow,"  said  the  rooster. 

"And  I  can  cackle,"  said  the  hen. 

"Very  well,"  said  Billy  Bobtail;  "I  think  we 
shall  be  quite  safe." 

So  on  they  went  through  the  wood;  but  suddenly 
they  heard  a  crashing  and  trampling  in  the  under- 
brush and  then  a  savage  growl,  as  of  some  great 
wild  creature  about  to  rush  upon  them. 

Billy  Bobtail  began  to  whistle  and  throw  stones. 

The  bull  began  to  bellow. 

The  goat  began  to  bleat. 

The  sheep  began  to  bleat. 

The  pig  began  to  squeal. 

The  dog  began  to  bark. 

The  cat  began  to  mew. 

The  turkey  began  to  gobble. 


36  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

The  rooster  began  to  crow. 

The  hen  began  to  cackle. 

And  they  all  made  such  a  noise  that  the  creature, 
whoever  he  was,  was  so  frightened  that  he  ran 
away  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry  him,  never 
even  once  stopping  to  look  back. 

Soon  Billy  Bobtail  and  his  friends  came  to  a 
clearing  —  a  place  in  the  wood  where  the  trees 
had  all  been  cut  away.  Right  in  the  middle  of  this 
clearing  stood  a  little  house. 

"What  a  fine  place  for  us  to  stay  in  all  night/' 
said  Billy  Bobtail,  for  it  was  now  almost  dark. 

"But  suppose  the  people  are  not  friendly?"  said 
the  bull,  thinking  of  the  savage  creature  that  they 
had  just  frightened  away. 

"I  will  go  and  peep  in  at  the  window  and  find 
out,"  said  the  cat.  "I  can  walk  softly  on  my  four 
cushions,  and  with  my  green  eyes  I  can  see  in  the 
dark." 

So  the  cat  crept  to  the  window  of  the  little 
house,  and  peeped  in.  Soon  she  came  back  and 
said,  "There  is  no  one  at  home,  and  it  does  not  look 
as  if  anyone  had  lived  here  for  a  long,  long 
time." 

When  Billy  Bobtail  and  his  friends  went  inside 
the  little  house  they  found  it  very  comfortable. 

"Hurrah!  I  shall  sleep  in  the  bed,"  said  Billy 
Bobtail. 


Billy  Bobtail.  37 

"Bow,  wow,  wow!  I  shall  sleep  under  the  bed," 
said  the  dog,  "and  guard  my  master." 

"Wee,  wee!"  said  the  pig,  "I  shall  sleep  in  the 
oven  where  it  is  nice  and  warm." 

"Gobble,  gobble,  gobble!"  "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" 
"Cut-cut-cut-cut-ka-dat-cut !"  cried  the  turkey,  the 
rooster,  and  the  hen  all  together,  "we  shall  roost 
high  up  on  the  mantelshelf." 

"Baa!"  said  the  goat,  "I  shall  sleep  on  the  front 
dOorstone  and  keep  guard." 

"Maa,  maa!  I  shall  sleep  just  inside  the  front 
door  and  help  to  keep  guard,"  said  the  sheep. 

"Moo,  moo,  moo!"  called  the  bull,  "the  wood  shed 
is  the  place  for  me." 

"Meow,  meow,  meow!"  cried  the  cat,  "I  do  not 
care  about  sleeping  in  the  night.  I  shall  keep  watch 
that  no  harm  comes  nigh." 

They  had  a  good  night's  rest.  When  morning 
came  and  Billy  Bobtail  saw  what  a  cozy  house  it 
was  and  that  there  was  a  fine  garden  too,  he  said, 
"This  is  my  fortune.  I'm  not  going  any  farther  to 
seek  it!" 

So  Billy  Bobtail  and  his  friends  lived  safely  in 
the  little  house  in  the  clearing  for  many  years,  and 
were  very,  very  happy. 


KID    WOULD    NOT    GO. 

One  day  as  I  was  going  across  London  Bridge  I 

found  a  penny  and  bought  a  kid.     Kid  would  not  go. 

"See,  by  the  moonlight,   it  is  almost  midnight. 

Time  kid  and  I  were  home  an  hour  and  a  half 

ago." 

I  went  along  a  little  farther  and  met  a  staff. 
"Staff,  staff,  beat  kid! 
Kid  will  not  go. 

See,  by  the  moonlight,  it  is  almost  midnight. 
Time  kid  and  I  were  home  an  hour  and  a  half 

ago." 

But  the  staff  would  not. 

I   went  along  a  Mttle  way  farther   and  met  a 
hatchet. 

"Hatchet,  hatchet,  hack  staff! 
Staff  will  not  beat  kid. 
Kid  will  not  go. 

See,  by  the  moonlight,  it  is  almost  midnight. 
Time  kid  and  I  were  home  an  hour  and  a  half 

ago." 

But  the  hatchet  would  not. 

I  went  along  a  little  way  farther  and  met  some 
fire. 

"Fire,  fire,  burn  hatchet! 


40  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

Hatchet  will  not  hack  staff. 

Staff  will  not  beat  kid. 

Kid  will  not  go. 

See,  by  the  moonlight,   it  is  almost  midnight. 

Time  kid  and  I  were  home  an  hour  and  a  half 

ago." 

But  the  fire  would  not. 

I  went  along  a  little  way  farther  and  met  some 
water. 

"Water,  water,  quench  fire! 

Fire  will  not  burn  hatchet. 

Hatchet  will  not  hack  staff. 

Staff  will  not  beat  kid. 

Kid  will  not  go. 

See,  by  the  moonlight,   it  is  almost  midnight. 

Time  kid  and  I  were  home  an  hour  and  a  half 

ago." 

But  the  water  would  not. 

I  went  along  a  little  way  farther  and  met  an  ox. 
"Ox,  ox,  drink  water! 

Water  will  not  quench  fire. 

Fire  will  not  burn  hatchet. 

Hatchet  will  not  hack  staff. 

Staff  will  not  beat  kid. 

Kid  will  not  go. 

See,  by  the  moonlight,   it  is  almost  midnight. 

Time  kid  and  I  were  home  an  hour  and  a  half 
ago." 


Kid  Would  not  Go.  41 

But  the  ox  would  not. 

I  went  along  a  little  way  farther  and  met  a  rope. 

"Rope,  rope,  hang  ox! 

Ox  will  not  drink  water. 

Water  will  not  quench  fire. 

Fire  will  not  burn  hatchet. 

Hatchet  will  not  hack  staff. 

Staff  will  not  beat  kid. 

Kid  will  not  go. 

See,   by  the  moonlight,   it  is  almost  midnight. 

Time  kid  and  I  were  home  an  hour  and  a  half 

ago." 

But  the  rope  would  not. 

I  went  along  a  little  way  farther  and  met  some 
grease. 

"Grease,  grease,  grease  rope! 

Rope  will  not  hang  ox. 

Ox  will  not  drink  water. 

Water  will  not  quench  fire. 

Fire  will  not  burn  hatchet. 

Hatchet  will  not  hack  staff. 

Staff  will  not  beat  kid. 

Kid  will  not  go. 

See,  by  the  moonlight,   it  is  almost  midnight. 

Time  kid  and  I  were  home  an  hour  and  a  hab' 

ago." 

But  the  grease  would  not. 
I  went  along  a  little  way  farther  and  met  a  rat. 


42  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

"Rat,  rat,  gnaw  grease! 

Grease  will  not  grease  rope. 

Rope  will  not  hang  ox. 

Ox  will  not  drink  water. 

Water  will  not  quench  fire. 

Fire  will  not  burn  hatchet. 

Hatchet  will  not  hack  staff. 

Staff  will  not  beat  kid. 

Kid  will  not  go. 

See,  by  the  moonlight,   it  is  almost  midnight. 

Time  kid  and  I  were  home  an  hour  and  a  half 

ago." 

But  the  rat  would  not. 

I  went  along  a  little  way  farther  and  met  a  cat. 
"Cat,  cat,  catch  rat! 

Rat  will  not  gnaw  grease. 

Grease  will  not  grease  rope. 

Rope  will  not  hang  ox. 

Ox  will  not  drink  water. 

Water  will  not  quench  fire. 

Fire  will  not  burn  hatchet. 

Hatchet  will  not  hack  staff. 

Staff  will  not  beat  kid. 

Kid  will  not  go. 

See,   by  the  moonlight,  it  is  almost  midnight. 

Time  kid  and  I  were  home  an  hour  and  a  half 
ago." 

But  the  cat  would  not. 


Kid  Would  not  Go.  43 

I  went  along  a  little  way  farther  and  met  a  dog. 
"Dog,  dog,  bite  cat! 

Cat  will  not  catch  rat. 

Rat  will  not  gnaw  grease. 

Grease  will  not  grease  rope. 

Rope  will  not  hang  ox. 

Ox  will  not  drink  water. 

Water  will  not  quench  fire. 

Fire  will  not  burn  hatchet. 

Hatchet  will  not  hack  staff. 

Staff  will  not  beat  kid. 

Kid  will  not  go. 

See,  by  the  moonlight,   it  is  almost  midnight. 

Time  kid  and  I  were  home  an  hour  and  a  half 
ago." 

The  dog  began  to  bite  the  cat. 

The  cat  began  to  catch  the  rat. 

The  rat  began  to  gnaw  the  grease. 

The  grease  began  to  grease  the  rope. 

The  rope  began  to  hang  the  ox. 

The  ox  began  to  drink  the  water. 

The  water  began  to  quench  the  fire. 

The  fire  began  to  burn  the  hatchet. 

The  hatchet  began  to  hack  the  staff. 

The  staff  began  to  beat  the  kid. 

The  kid  began  to  go. 
"See,  by  the  moonlight,  it  is  almost  midnight. 

Kid  and  I  got  home  an  hour  and  a  half  ago." 


FOX    LOX. 

Once  upon  a  time  hungry  Fox  Lox  was  prowling 
about  under  a  great  tree  on  the  hillside,  when  a 
chestnut  burr  fell  thump  upon  his  head.  "Ah!" 
said  cunning  Fox  Lox,  "by  this  I  will  get  a  fine 
dinner."  Just  then  along  came  Chicker  Ricker. 

"Oh,  run  down  hill  with  me  where  you  will  be 
quite  safe,  Chicker  Ricker,"  cried  Fox  Lox,  "for 
the  sky  is  surely  tumbling  down!" 

"Who  told  you,  Fox  Lox?" 

"Oh,  I  heard  it  and  I  felt  it  and  it  came  thump 
upon  my  crown!" 

"Then  I  will  run  down  hill  with  you,"  cried 
Chicker  Ricker. 

So  they  ran  and  they  ran  and  they  ran.  Soon 
they  met  Hen  Ren. 

"The  sky  is  tumbling  down,  Hen  Ren!"  cried 
Chicker  Ricker. 

"Who  told  you,  Chicker  Ricker?" 

"Oh,  Fox  Lox!" 

"Who  told  you,  Fox  Lox?" 

"Oh,  I  heard  it  and  I  felt  it  and  it  came  thump 
upon  my  crown!  Run  down  hill  with  me  where 
you  will  be  quite  safe,"  said  Fox  Lox. 

"That  I  will!"  cried  Hen  Ren. 


46  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

So  they  ran  and  they  ran  and  they  ran.  Soon 
they  met  Cock  Lock. 

"The  sky  is  tumbling  down,  Cock  Lock!"  cried 
Hen  Ren. 

"Who  told  you,  Hen  Ren?" 

"Oh,  Chicker  Ricker!" 

"Who  told  you,  Chicker  Ricker?" 

"Oh,  Fox  Lox!" 

"Who  told  you,  Fox  Lox?" 

"Oh,  I  heard  it  and  I  felt  it  and  it  came  thump 
upon  my  crown!  Run  down  hill  with  me  where 
you  will  be  quite  safe,"  said  Fox  Lox. 

"That  I  will!"  cried  Cock  Lock. 

So  they  ran  and  they  ran  and  they  ran.  Soon 
they  met  Duck  Luck. 

"The  sky  is  tumbling  down,  Duck  Luck!"  cried 
Cock  Lock. 

"Who  told  you,  Cock  Lock?" 

"Oh,  Hen  Ren!" 

"Who  told  you,  Hen  Ren?" 

"Oh,   Chicker  Ricker!" 

"Who  told  you,  Chicker  Ricker?" 

"Oh,  Fox  Lox!" 

"Who  told  you,  Fox  Lox?" 

"Oh,  I  heard  it  and  I  felt  it  and  it  came  thump 
upon  my  crown!  Run  down  hill  with  me  where 
you  will  be  quite  safe,"  said  Fox  Lox. 

"That  I  will!"  cried  Duck  Luck. 


Fox  Lox.  47 

So  they  ran  and  they  ran  and  they  ran.  Soon 
they  met  Drake  Lake. 

"The  sky  is  tumbling  down,  Drake  Lake!"  cried 
Duck  Luck. 

"Who  told  you,  Duck  Luck?" 

"Oh,  Cock  Lock!" 

"Who  told  you,  Cock  Lock?" 

"Oh,  Hen  Ren!" 

"Who  told  you,  Hen  Ren?" 

"Oh,  Chicker  Ricker!" 

"Who  told  you,  Chicker  Ricker?" 

"Oh,  Fox  Lox!" 

"Who  told  you,  Fox  Lox?" 

"Oh,  I  heard  it  and  I  felt  it  and  it  came  thump 
upon  my  crown!  Run  down  hill  with  me  where 
you  will  be  quite  safe,"  said  Fox  Lox. 

"That  I  will!"  cried  Drake  Lake. 

So  they  ran  and  they  ran  and  they  ran.  Soon 
they  met  Goose  Loose. 

"The  sky  is  tumbling  down,  Goose  Loose!"  cried 
Drake  Lake. 

"Who  told  you,  Drake  Lake?" 

"Oh,  Duck  Luck!" 

"Who  told  you,  Duck  Luck?" 

"Oh,  Cock  Lock!" 

"Who  told  you,  Cock  Lock?" 

"Oh,  Hen  Ren!" 

"Who  told  you,  Hen  Ren?" 


48  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

"Oh,  Chicker  Ricker!" 

"Who  told  you,  Chicker  Ricker?" 

"Oh,  Fox  Lox!" 

"Who  told  you,  Fox  Lox?" 

"Oh,  I  heard  it  and  I  felt  it  and  it  came  thump 
upon  my  crown!  Run  down  hill  with  me  where 
you  will  be  quite  safe,"  said  Fox  Lox. 

"That  I  will!"  cried  Goose  Loose. 

So  they  ran  and  they  ran  and  they  ran;  Soon 
they  met  Gander  Lander. 

"The  sky  is  tumbling  down,  Gander  Lander!" 
cried  Goose  Loose. 

"Who  told  you,  Goose  Loose?" 

"Oh,  Drake  Lake!" 

"Who  told  you,  Drake  Lake?" 

"Oh,  Duck  Luck!" 

"Who  told  you,  Duck  Luck?" 

"Oh,  Cock  Lock!" 

"Who  told  you,  Cock  Lock?" 

"Oh,  Hen  Ren!" 

"Who  told  you,  Hen  Ren?" 

"Oh,  Chicker  Ricker!" 

"Who  told  you,  Chicker  Ricker?" 

"Oh,  Fox  Lox!" 

"Who  told  you,  Fox  Lox?" 

"Oh,  I  heard  it  and  I  felt  it  and  it  came  thump 
upon  my  crown!  Run  down  hill  with  me  where 
you  will  be  quite  safe,"  said  Fox  Lox. 

"That  I  will!"  cried  Gander  Lander. 


Fox  Lox.  49 

So  they  ran  and  they  ran  and  they  ran.  Soon 
they  met  Turk  Lurk. 

"The  sky  is  tumbling  down,  Turk  Lurk!"  cried 
Gander  Lander. 

"Who  told  you,  Gander  Lander?" 

"Oh,  Goose  Loose!" 

"Who  told  you,  Goose  Loose?" 

"Oh,  Drake  Lake!" 

"Who  told  you,  Drake  Lake?" 

"Oh,  Duck  Luck!" 

"Who  told  you,  Duck  Luck?" 

"Oh,  Cock  Lock!" 

"Who  told  you,  Cock  Lock?" 

"Oh,  Hen  Ren!" 

"Who  told  you,  Hen  Ren?" 

"Oh,  Chicker  Ricker!" 

"Who  told  you,  Chicker  Ricker?" 

"Oh,  Fox  Lox!" 

"Who  told  you,  Fox  Lox?" 

"Oh,  I  heard  it  and  I  felt  it  and  it  came  thump 
upon  my  crown!  Run  down  hill  with  me  where 
you  will  be  quite  safe,"  said  Fox  Lox. 

"That  I  will!"  cried  Turk  Lurk. 

So  they  ran  and  they  ran  and  they  ran.  Soon 
they  met  Dove  Love. 

"The  sky  is  tumbling  down,  Dove  Love!"  cried 
Turk  Lurk. 

"Who  told  you,  Turk  Lurk?" 

"Oh,  Gander  Lander!" 


50  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

"Who  told  you,  Gander  Lander?" 

"Oh,  Goose  Loose!" 

"Who  told  you,  Goose  Loose?" 

"Oh,  Drake  Lake!" 

"Who  told  you,  Drake  Lake?" 

"Oh,  Duck  Luck!" 

"Who  told  you,  Duck  Luck?" 

"Oh,    Cock   Lock!" 

"Who  told  you,   Cock  Lock?" 

"Oh,   Hen  Ren!" 

"Who  told  you,  Hen  Ren?" 

"Oh,   Chicker  Ricker!" 

"Who  told  you,  Chicker  Ricker?" 

"Oh,    Fox   Lox!" 

"Who  told  you,  Fox  Lox?" 

"Oh,  I  heard  it  and  I  felt  it  and  it  ca^me  thump 
upon  my  crown!  Run  down  hill  with  me  where 
you  will  be  quite  safe,"  said  Fox  Lox. 

"That  I  will!"  cried  Dove  Love. 

So  they  ran  and  they  ran  and  they  ran;  and 
when  Chicker  Ricker  and  Hen  Ren  and  Cock  Lock 
and  Duck  Luck  and  Drake  Lake  and  Goose  Loose 
and  Gander  Lander  and  Turk  Lurk  and  Dove  Love 
reached  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  they  were  going  so 
fast  that  they  could  not  stop  and  they  ran  straight 
into  Fox  Lox's  hole. 

"Now  I  have  you!  Now  I  have  you!"  cried  Fox 
Lox.  And  he  gobbled  them  all  up. 


THE    LITTLE    LONG    TAIL. 

As  a  cat  and  a  mouse  ran  over  a  rail 
The  cat  bit  off  the  mouse's  tail. 

The  little  mouse  cried,  "Cat,  Cat,  give  back  my 
little  long  tail  again!" 

"That  I  will  if  you'll  give  me  milk!"  said  Cat. 

The  little  mouse  ran  to  Cow  and  cried,  "Cow, 
Cow,  give  me  milk,  that  I  may  give  Cat  milk,  that 
Cat  may  give  back  my  little  long  tail  again!" 

"That  I  will  if  you'll  give  me  hay!"  said  Cow. 

The  little  mouse  ran  to  Barn  and  cried,  "Barn, 
Barn,  give  me  hay,  that  I  may  give  Cow  hay,  that 
Cow  may  give  me  milk,  that  I  may  give  Cat  milk, 
that  Cat  may  give  back  my  little  long  tail  again!" 

"That  I  will  if  you'll  give  me  key!"  said  Barn. 

The  little  mouse  ran  to  Smith  and  cried,  "Smith, 
Smith,  give  me  key,  that  I  may  give  Barn  key,  that 
Barn  may  give  me  hay,  that  I  may  give  Cow  hay, 
that  Cow  may  give  me  milk,  that  I  may  give  Cat 
milk,  that  Cat  may  give  back  my  little  long  tail 
again!" 

"That  I  will  if  you'll  give  me  coal!"  said  Smith. 

The  little  mouse  ran  to  Miner  and  cried,  "Miner, 
Miner,  give  me  coal,  that  I  may  give  Smith  coal, 
that  Smith  may  give  me  key,  that  I  may  give  Barn 


56  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

key,  that  Barn  may  give  me  hay,  that  I  may  give 
Cow  hay,  that  Cow  may  give  me  milk,  that  I  may 
give  Cat  milk,  that  Cat  may  give  back  my  little 
long  tail  again!" 

"That  I  will!"  cried  Miner,  and  he  gave  the 
mouse  coal.  The  mouse  gave  Smith  coal  and  Smith 
gave  him  key.  The  mouse  gave  Barn  key  and  Barn 
gave  him  hay.  The  mouse  gave  Cow  hay  and  Cow 
gave  him  milk.  The  mouse  gave  Cat  milk  and  Cat 
gave  back  his  little  long  tail  again. 


THE    BROWNIES. 

ADAPTED  FROM  MRS.  EWING. 

Such  wonderful  stories  as  grandmother  told 
Johnnie  and  Tommy!  Stories  of  ghosts  and  hob- 
goblins, of  dwarfs  and  fairies;  and  once  she  told 
them  about  a  brownie  that  was  said  to  have  lived 
in  their  own  family,  long  ago, — a  brownie  who  did 
all  manner  of  wonderful  and  useful  things.  He 
was  a  little  fellow  no  larger  than  Tommy,  she  said, 
but  very  active  and  very  shy.  He  slept  by  the 
kitchen  fire,  and  no  one  ever  saw  him;  but,  early 
in  the  morning,  when  all  the  family  were  in  their 
beds,  this  brownie  would  get  up,  sweep  the  room, 
build  the  fire,  spread  the  table,  milk  the  cow,  churn 
the  cream,  bring  the  water,  scrub  and  dust,  until 
there  was  not  a  speck  of  dirt  anywhere  to  be  seen. 

The  children  liked  this  story  very  much,  and  oh': 
how  they  did  wish  such  a  brownie  would  come  to 
live  in  their  house  now!  Over  and  over  again  they 
said:  "Was  there  really  and  truly  a  brownie, 
grandmother,  and  did  he  really  help  all  the  people 
as  you  say?  How  we  wish  he  would  come  back 
again!  Why,  he  could  mind  the  baby  and  tidy  the 
room  and  bring  in  the  wood  and  wait  on  you,  grand- 
mother! Can't  we  do  something  to  get  him  back 
again?" 


58  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

"I  don't  know,  my  dears,"  said  the  grandmother; 
"but  they  used  to  say,  in  my  young  days,  that  if  one 
set  a  bowl  of  bread  and  milk  or  even  a  pan  of  clear 
water  for  him  over  night  he  would  be  sure  to  come, 
and  would  do  all  the  work  just  for  that." 

"Oh!  let  us  try  it!"  said  both  the  boys;  and  one 
ran  to  get  a  pan,  and  the  other  to  fetch  fresh  water 
from  the  well,  for  they  knew,  poor  hungry  lads,  that 
there  was  no  bread  or  milk  in  the  house.  Their 
father,  who  was  a  poor  tailor,  could  scarcely  earn 
money  enough  to  buy  food  for  them  all.  His  wife 
had  died  when  the  baby  was  born  and  he  could  not 
make  as  many  coats  as  before,  for  he  must  now  do  all 
the  work  of  the  house.  Johnnie  and  Tommy  were 
idle  and  lazy  and  too  thoughtless  to  help  their  father, 
although  they  were  fine  grown  lads  of  five  and  seven. 

One  night  Tommy  had  a  wonderful  dream.  He 
thought  he  went  down  in  the  meadow  by  the  old 
mill  pond,  and  there  he  saw  an  owl  who  shook  her 
feathers,  rolled  her  great  eyes,  and  called :  "Tuwhit, 
tuwhoo!  Tuwhoo,  whoo-o-o-o!  Tommy,  what  are 
you  doing  way  down  here  this  time  of  night  ?" 

"Please,  I  came  to  find  the  brownies,"  said 
Tommy;  "can  you  tell  me  where  they  live,  ma'am?" 

"Tuwhoo,  tuwhoo!"  screamed  the  old  owl;  "so 
it's  the  brownies  you  are  after,  is  it?  Tuwhoo, 
tuwhoo!  Go  look  in  the  mill  pond.  Tuwhoo, 
tuwhoo!  Go  look  in  the  water  at  midnight,  and 


The  Brownies.  59 

you'll  see  one.  By  the  light  of  the  moon  a  brownie 
you'll  see,  to  be  sure,  but  such  a  lazy  one!  Tuwhoo, 
tuwhoo!"  screamed  the  old  owl;  and,  flapping  her 
wings,  she  went  sailing  away  in  the  moonlight. 

"The  mill  pond,  at  midnight,  by  moonlight," 
thought  Tommy.  What  could  the  old  owl  mean? 
It  was  midnight  then,  and  moonlight,  too ;  and  there 
he  was  right  down  by  the  water.  "Silly  old  thing," 
said  Tommy,  "brownies  don't  live  in  the  water." 
But  for  all  that  Tommy  went  to  the  bank  and  peeped 
in.  The  moon  was  shining  as  bright  as  day;  and 
what  do  you  suppose  he  saw?  Why,  just  a  picture 
of  himself  in  the  water,  and  that  was  all.  "Humph ! 
I'm  no  brownie,"  said  he  to  himself;  but  the  longer 
he  looked  the  harder  he  thought.  At  last  he  said: 
"Am  I  a  brownie?  Perhaps  I  am  one,  after  all. 
Grandmother  said  they  are  about  as  large  as  I,  and 
the  old  owl  said  that  I  would  see  a  very  lazy  one  if  I 
looked  in  the  water.  Am  I  lazy?  That  must  be 
what  she  meant.  I  am  the  brownie  myself."  The 
longer  he  thought  about  it  the  surer  he  was  that  he 
must  be  a  brownie.  "Why,"  he  said,  "if  I  am  one, 
Johnnie  must  be  another;  then  there  are  two  of  us. 
I'll  go  home  'and  tell  Johnnie  all  about  it." 

Off  he  ran  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry  him,  and 
just  as  he  was  calling,  "Johnnie,  Johnnie!  We  are 
brownies !  The  old  owl  told  me !"  he  found*  himself 
wide  awake,  sitting  up  in  bed,  rubbing  his  eyes, 


60  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

while  Johnnie  lay  fast  asleep  by  his  side.  The  first 
faint  rays  of  morning  light  were  just  creeping  in  at 
their  chamber  window.  "Johnnie,  Johnnie,  wake 
up!  I  have  something  to  tell  you!" 

After  telling  his  brother  all  about  his  strange 
dream,  Tommy  said:  "Let  us  play  we  really  are 
brownies,  John,  even  if  we  are  not;  it  will  be  such 
fun  for  once  to  surprise  father  and  grandmother. 
We  will  keep  out  of  sight  and  tell  about  it  after- 
wards. Oh,  do  come!  It  will  "be  such  fun!" 

So  these  two  brownies  put  on  their  clothes  in  a 
great  hurry  and  crept  softly  down  to  the  kitchen, 
where  at  first  there  seemed  enough  work  for  a  dozen 
brownies  to  do.  Tommy  built  up  a  blazing  fire,  and, 
while  the  kettle  was  boiling,  swept  the  untidy  floor, 
while  Johnnie  dusted,  placed  his  grandmother's 
chair,  got  the  cradle  ready  for  the  baby  and  spread 
the  table.  Just  as  everything  was  in  -order  they 
heard  their  father's  footstep  on  the  stairs.  "Run!" 
whispered  Tommy,  "or  he  will  see  us."  So  the  boys 
scampered  away  to  their  bed  in  the  loft  and 
pretended  to  be  fast  asleep  when  their  father  called 
them  to  breakfast. 

The  poor  tailor  was  fairly  beside  nimself  with 
delight  and  astonishment,  and  believed  that  the 
brownie  he  had  heard  so  much  about  in  his  childhood 
had  really  come  back  again.  The  old  grandmother 
was  delighted,  too,  and  said:  "What  did  I  tell  you, 


The  Brownies.  61 

son  Thomas?  I  always  knew  there  were  real 
brownies." 

Although  being  brownies  was  fun  for  the  boys,  it 
was  hard  work,  too,  and  they  sometimes  thought 
they  would  leave  off;  but  then  they  would  think  of 
their  hard-working  father  and  would  grow  quite 
ashamed.  Things  were  so  much  better  at  home 
than  they  used  to  be.  The  tailor  never  scolded  now, 
the  grandmother  was  more  cheerful  than  of  old,  the 
baby  was  less  fretful,  the  house  was  always  tidy; 
and  because  the  tailor  had  more  time  for  his  work, 
now  that  the  brownies  helped,  he  could  make  more 
coats  and  could  get  more  money,  and  the  boys  did  not 
go  hungry  to  bed  as  they  used  to  do;  but  there  was 
always  bread  and  milk  enough,  and  a  great  bowlful 
to  spare  that  they  set  each  night  for  the  brownie. 

At  last  the  tailor  said,  "I  am  going  to  do  some- 
thing for  that  brownie.  He  has  done  so  much  for 
us  all."  So  he  cut  and  stitched  the  neatest  little 
coat  you  ever  saw ;  for  he  said :  "I  have  always  heard 
that  a  brownie's  clothes  are  ragged,  so  our  brownie 
will  need  this,  I  know."  When  the  coat  was  done 
it  just  fitted  Tommy  and  was  very  fine  to  see,  all 
stitched  with  gold  thread  and  covered  with  brave 
brass  buttons. 

That  night  the  little  coat  was  placed  by  the  bowl 
of  milk  set  for  the  brownie  and,  when  the  early 
morning  came,  the  tailor  was  awakened  by  the  sound 


62  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

of  laughter  and  scuffling  in  the  kitchen.  "It's  the 
brownie,"  thought  he;  and  getting  out  of  bed  he 
crept  softly  down  the  stairs. 

But  when  he  reached  the  kitchen,  instead  of  the 
brownie,  he  saw  Johnnie  and  Tommy  sweeping  and 
making  the  fire  and  dusting  and  setting  the  table. 
Tommy  had  put  on  the  coat  that  the  tailor  had  made 
for  the  brownie,  and  was  skipping  about  in  it  laugh- 
ing and  calling  to  Johnnie  to  see  how  fine  he  looked, 
but  saying:  "I  wish  he  had  made  it  to  fit  you,  John." 

"Boys,  what  does  all  this  mean?"  cried  the  tailor. 
"Tommy,  why  have  you  put  on  that  coat?" 

When  the  boys  saw  their  father  they  ran  to  him 
and  tried  to  tell  him  all  about  it.  "There  is  no 
brownie,  father,"  they  cried,  "but  we  have  done  the 
work.  And  0  father!  we  are  sorry  that  we  were 
lazy  and  idle  so  long;  but  we  mean  to  be  brownies 
now,  real  brownies,  and  help  you  till  we  grow  to  be 
big  men."  The  poor  tailor  was  so  happy  that  he 
knew  not  what  to  say,  and  there  were  tears  in  his 
eyes  as  he  kissed  each  little  son. 

Tommy  and  Johnnie  kept  their  promise  and  con- 
tinued being  brownies  until  they  went  away  to 
homes  of  their  own.  But  their  little  sister  grew  to 
be  the  best  brownie  of  all ;  and  she  kept  her  father's 
house  so  bright  and  clean  with  mop  and  brush  and 
broom  and  dustpan  that  not  a  speck  of  dirt  was 
anywhere  to  be  seen. 


THE    FAIRY    SHOES. 

ADAPTED  FROM  MBS.  EWIXG. 

Once  upon  a  time  a  baby  boy  was  born  in  a  little 
brown  house,  far  away  in  a  country  village,  and 
everybody  was  invited  to  his  christening  and  every- 
body was  glad  to  come. 

Now  the  baby's  mother  had  a  fairy  godmother  of 
whom  she  was  very  fond.  This  fairy  was  rich  and 
all  the  people  said,  "Surely  she  will  bring  a  present 
to  the  baby  on  his  christening-day,  that  is  worth  a 
great  deal  of  money."  But,  at  last  when  the  time 
came,  what  do  you  suppose  she  really  brought?  —  a 
pair  of  stout  little  leather  shoes  with  copper  toes. 

In  spite  of  the  disappointment  at  the  fairy's 
present  the  festivities  went  merrily  on  and,  when 
the  party  was  over  and  the  fairy  bade  her  god- 
daughter good-bye,  she  said:  "My  little  present  is 
not  quite  as  shabby  as  it  looks.  Those  shoes  will 
never  wear  out  and,  besides,  the  little  feet  that  have 
them  on  can  never  go  wrong.  When  your  baby  has 
grown  large  enough  to  wear  those  shoes,  if  you  send 
him  on  an  errand,  and  tell  him  to  come  back  quickly, 
and  he  forgets  and  stops  to  play,  those  little  shoes 
will  help  him  to  remember  by  pinching  his  feet  and 
pulling  and  twitching  at  his  ankles  until  he  will  be 
glad  to  go  on  again.  They  will  remind  him  to  go 


64  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

straight  to  school  and  to  come  straight  home  again 
as  you  have  bidden  him.  Indeed,  wherever  he  is 
sent  he  will  be  quite  sure  to  go,  and  he  will  come 
back  again  at  just  the  right  moment  and,  by  the 
time  his  feet  have  grown  too  large  to  wear  the  little 
shoes,  he  will  no  longer  need  their  help." 

Days  passed  by,  months  passed  by.  The  boy  was 
no  longer  a  baby,  but  had  grown  large  enough  to 
wear  the  fairy's  shoes  and,  just  as  she  had  said,  they 
always  helped  him  to  go  the  right  way. 

Months  sped  and  years  sped  and  another  baby 
boy  came  to  stay  in  the  little  brown  house,  and  then 
another  and  another  and  another,  until  the  mother 
had  nine  boys.  Each  one  in  turn  wore  the  little 
shoes  and,  just  as  the  fairy  had  said,  they  never 
wore  out.  At  last  they  descended  to  the  ninth  and 
youngest  boy  and  became  Timothy's  shoes. 

Now  the  eighth  little  boy  had  rather  small  feet 
and  had  worn  the  shoes  longer  than  the  others, 
besides  Timothy  was  the  baby  and,  for  one  reason 
and  another  like  these,  his  mother  hated  to  put  the 
rough  little  shoes  upon  him.  For  a  long  time 
Timothy  had  gone  his  own  way,  which  was  rarely 
the  right  way.  At  last  he  played  truant  from  school 
so  often  and  was  late  to  dinner  so  many  times,  that 
his  mother  said  she  could  bear  it  no  longer,  he  must 
wear  the  fairy  shoes.  So  she  had  them  freshly 
blackened  and  the  copper  tips  newly  polished  and, 


The  Fairy  Shoes.  65 

one  morning,  she  brought  them  out  and  told  Timothy 
to  put  them  on. 

"Now,  Tim  dear,"  she  said,  "go  straight  to  school 
this  morning.  If  you  don't  these  little  shoes  will 
pinch  your  feet  terribly." 

But  Timothy  did  not  mind.  It  was  a  bright, 
sunny  morning  in  May  and,  if  he  had  loitered  on  the 
way  when  the  cold  March  winds  blew  up  his  jacket 
sleeves  and  made  him  shiver,  and  when  the  snow 
lay  in  great  drifts  by  the  roadside,  how  could  he  help 
wishing  to  linger  now  when  every  bush  held  a  bird 
and  every  bank  a  flower? 

Once  or  twice  Timothy  stopped  to  pick  spring 
flowers,  but  the  shoes  pinched  his  feet  and  he  ran  on 
again.  At  last  he  reached  the  bank  overlooking  the 
swamp  and,  gazing  down,  he  saw  great  clumps  of 
cowslips,  with  their  dark  green  leaves  and  crowns  of 
beautiful  yellow  flowers. 

Then  Timothy  forgot  all  about  school,  forgot  what 
his  mother  had  said,  forgot  the  shoes  and  their 
pinches  and  thought  only  of  the  cowslips.  Oh,  he 
must  have  some! 

In  a  moment  away  went  his  satchel  on  the  grass 
and  away  went  the  flowers  he  had  picked  and  he 
began  scrambling  down  the  bank  toward  the  swamp 
as  fast  as  he  could  go.  But  the  little  shoes,  they 
meant  to  go  another  way.  They  meant  to  go  to 
school  and  they  pinched  Timothy's  feet  and  pulled 


66  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

and  twitched  at  his  ankles,  trying  to  make  him  turn 
about  and  go  in  the  right  way,  until  he  thought  his 
feet  would  be  wrenched  off.  Timothy  was  very 
determined,  the  harder  the  little  shoes  pinched  the 
more  he  was  bound  to  have  the  bright  yellow 
flowers;  so,  in  spite  of  the  pain,  he  kept  on  going 
down  toward  the  swamp. 

When  at  last  this  little  boy  reached  the  foot  of  the 
bank  and  came  to  the  edge  of  the  swamp  he  found 
that  the  cowslips  were  all  out  of  reach.  Still  he 
would  have  them.  Round  and  round  the  swamp  he 
went,  the  shoes  pinching  and  pulling  harder  at  every 
step,  till  at  last  he  grew  quite  desperate  and,  giving 
a  big  jump,  he  landed  right  out  in  the  swamp  in  the 
very  middle  of  a  large  clump  of  the  flowers.  Then 
something  strange  happened,  his  feet  sank  down, 
down  into  the  mud  and  water  until  the  little  shoes 
were  soaked  right  off.  Poor,  wayward  Timothy's 
best  friends  were  gone,  but  he  did  not  know  that. 
He  just  waded  around  in  the  swamp  and  picked 
cowslips  to  his  heart's  content. 

At  last,  however,  Timothy  grew  very  tired.  He 
hurt  his  foot  on  a  sharp  stick.  A  great  green  frog 
jumped  into  his  face  and  startled  him.  He  had 
more  flowers  than  he  could  carry.  Suddenly  he 
remembered  school  and  his  lost  shoes  and  thought  of 
what  his  mother  had  told  him.  Oh !  how  he  did  wish 
now  that  he  had  done  just  as  she  asked  him  to  do. 


The  Fairy  Shoes.  67 

"What  shall  I  say  to  the  teacher?"  he  thought. 
"Oh,  what  shall  I  do?  How  I  wish  I  had  gone 
straight  to  school  as  the  little  shoes  tried  to  have  me 
go!" 

Weary  and  sad  Timothy  climbed  the  bank. 
Wiping  the  mud  from  his  clothes  with  his  handker- 
chief and  taking  his  satchel,  he  started  slowly  for 
school  again,  all  the  time  wondering  what  he  should 
say  to  the  teacher  about  being  late.  At  last  he 
reached  the  door  and  prepared  to  tiptoe  quietly  in, 
but  he  had  no  sooner  put  his  head  inside  and 
commenced  to  make  an  excuse  than  all  the  children 
began  to  laugh.  Timothy  was  very  much  ashamed. 
He  looked  to  find  what  they  were  laughing  at  and 
saw  —  What  do  you  suppose  he  saw  ?  Standing  in 
the  middle  of  the  floor,  in  the  place  in  the  class 
where  he  himself  should  have  stood,  were  his  little 
shoes,  very  muddy  indeed  and  with  a  cowslip  in  each 
one  of  them. 

"You  have  been  in  the  swamp,  Timothy,"  said  the 
teacher.  "Put  on  your  shoes." 

When  his  lessons  and  his  punishment  were  over, 
Timothy  was  very  glad  to  let  the  little  shoes  take  him 
quickly  home.  And  always  after  that  he  tried  to  do 
what  his  mother  and  the  little  shoes  wished  him  to 
do. 


PICCIOLA. 

ADAPTED  FROM   "SAINTINE." 

Long,  long  ago  a  good  man  was  thrown  into 
prison  by  a  great  king.  The  prison  was  dark  and 
cold  and  still ;  for  the  gray  stone  walls  and  the  stone 
roof  and  floor  shut  out  the  sunlight  and  all  the 
beautiful  sights  and  sounds  of  the  world.  There  was 
no  one  for  the  man  to  talk  to,  and  there  was  no  work 
for  him  to  do.  There  was  one  little  window  to  let  in 
the  air,  but  it  was  so  high  up  beyond  his  reach  that 
he  could  not  even  get  a  glimpse  of  the  blue  sky. 
Here  he  was  kept  for  wTeeks  and  months  and  years, 
and  was  not  allowed  to  know  anything  about  his 
family,  friends  or  home.  At  last  a  door  was  opened 
into  another  part  of  the  prison.  The  walls  of  this 
part  were  high  and  strong,  and  the  floor  was  paved 
with  the  same  great,  gray  stones,  but  there  was  no 
roof  overhead.  Here  the  wind  could  come  in  and 
the  rain  and  the  sunlight.  He  was  allowed  to  walk 
here  just  for  one  short  hour  each  day,  and  then  he 
had  to  go  back  to  his  dark  cell  and  the  door  was  shut 
upon  him. 

Once  while  walking  here  the  prisoner  saw  a  little 
mound  of  earth  rising  between  two  of  the  great 
stones  of  the  floor.  At  first  he  thought  that  some 
tiny  worm  or  insect  was  trying  to  build  a  house 


70  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

for  itself.  Looking  closer  he  saw  that  it  was  only 
the  home  of  a  little  plant.  The  stray  seed  had  been 
brought  by  the  wind,  and  it  was  now  sending  its 
roots  down  into  the  crevice  between  the  stones. 
"Poor  little  plant!"  said  the  prisoner,  "what  a  sad 
home  you  have  found !  Shall  I  not  crush  you  ?  No ! 
Perhaps  you  have  come  to  comfort  me  in  this 
terrible  place."  Hurrying  to  his  cell,  he  brought  his 
cup  of  precious  water.  "Drink !  little  one,"  he  cried, 
as  he  poured  the  water  out  around  it.  "Drink !  and 
lift  up  your  head." 

The  next  day  he  watched  it  again  and  watered  it, 
and  the  next  day,  and  the  next.  How  bravely  it 
seemed  to  struggle  to  push  its  head  up  and  its  roots 
down,  to  open  its  leaves  and  to  catch  the  dull  light. 
At  last  the  little  plant  became  a  dear  friend  and 
companion  to  the  man.  He  would  bend  over  it  the 
whole  hour  each  day  and  talk  softly  to  it.  He  called 
it  Picciola,  —  his  Picciola,  —  his  little  one,  and  as 
the  plant  grew  and  put  on  new  beauty  he  forgot  his 
wrongs  and  his  heart  was  filled  with  love  and  gentle- 
ness. 

Once  there  was  a  storm,  and  great  hailstones  beat 
down  upon  Picciola.  "Ah,  my  poor  little  one  will  be 
killed!"  cried  the  prisoner.  And  he  bent  over  her 
and  sheltered  her  and  the  cruel  hail  fell  upon  his 
own  head  until  the  storm  was  past.  Fearing  that 
other  storms  might  come  when  he  was  shut  away 


Picciola.  71 

from  her,  he  built  a  little  house  around  her  with  the 
wood  that  was  given  him  to  keep  him  warm,  and 
made  a  roof  over  her  with  a  mat  which  he  wove  from 
the  straw  of  his  own  bed.  This  made  him  happy; 
for,  though  he  could  be  with  his  Picciola  for  but  one 
short  hour  each  day,  he  felt  that  she  was  safe.  So 
the  little  plant  grew  and  grew,  and  opened  her 
flowers  and  sent  out  her  perfume  to  make  glad  the 
heart  of  her  lonely  friend. 

But,  alas!  the  day  came  when  Picciola  began  to 
droop  and  wither.  She  seemed  about  to  die.  The 
poor  prisoner  was  frantic  with  grief  and  cried,  "Is 
my  little  one,  my  joy,  my  hope,  the  only  thing  for 
which  I  live,  to  be  taken  from  me?"  Searching,  he 
found  that  as  Picciola  had  grown  taller  her  stem  had 
had  grown  larger,  and  now  there  was  not  room 
enough  for  it  in  the  crevice  between  the  stones. 
Her  sap,  —  her  life  blood,  —  was  running  away,  as 
the  rough  edges  of  the  stones  cut  into  her  delicate 
stem.  Nothing  could  save  her  but  to  lift  those  cruel 
stones.  The  prisoner  tore  at  them  with  his  weak 
hands.  Weeping,  he  begged  the  jailer  to  raise  them, 
but  the  jailer  could  do  nothing.  No  one  but  the 
king  could  cause  them  to  be  lifted.  But  how  could 
the  prisoner  ask  the  king?  The  king  was  far  away. 
The  prisoner  must  send  a  letter  to  him,  but  he  had  no 
pen,  ink  or  paper;  so  he  wrote  on  his  handkerchief 
with  a  bit  of  charred  wood  and  begged,  not  for  his 


72  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

own  life,  but  for  the  life  of  Picciola,  —  that  the  king 
would  cause  the  stones  that  were  killing  her  to  be 
raised. 

When  the  king  read  the  prisoner's  letter  he  said, 
"No  man  who  is  really  wicked  could  care  so  much 
for  a  little,  simple  flower.  I  will  not  only  have  the 
stones  raised  that  are  killing  his  Picciola,  but  I  will 
pardon  him.  He  shall  be  free  because  of  the  love  he 
bears  his  plant." 

So  the  prisoner  left  his  lonely  cell  carrying  with 
him  his  Picciola,  —  his  little  one  whom  he  had  saved 
and  who  in  turn  had  set  him  free. 


CINDERELLA. 

The  room  was  dark,  the  fire  was  out  and  a  little 
girl  sat  crying  all  alone  in  the  ashes.  "I  want  to  go 
to  the  party  too !"  she  sobbed.  "I  want  to  dance  and 
wear  a  pretty  dress,  but  my  dress  is  ragged.  My 
sisters  have  gone  and  left  me.  Nobody  wants  me. 
It's  so  dark  here  I'm  afraid.  Oh!  I'm  so  cold." 
The  tears  ran  down  the  face  of  this  forlorn  little 
girl  and  fell  in  the  ashes  at  her  feet.  Poor  child! 
Poor  little  maid!  She  had  to  wash  and  scrub  and 
dust,  while  her  sisters  did  nothing  but  wear  pretty 
clothes  and  go  to  all  the  parties.  They  never 
thought  of  taking  her  with  them.  She  was  only  fit 
to  blacken  their  boots  and  to  mend  their  dresses. 
Because  her  hands  and  her  hair  were  sometimes 
gray  and  dusty  from  tending  the  fire  and  sweeping 
the  hearth,  they  called  her  Cinderella.  She  had 
helped  her  sisters  to  dress  that  very  night,  smiling 
all  the  time,  but  now  that  they  were  gone,  Cinderella 
could  keep  back  the  tears  no  longer.  She  was 
sobbing  as  if  her  heart  would  break,  when  suddenly 
she  heard  a  noise,  the  room  was  filled  with  light  and, 
right  in  front  of  her  stood  a  curious  little  old  woman, 
with  a  long  stick  in  her  hand.  She  had  pointed 
shoes  on  her  feet  and  a  tassel  in  her  cap. 


74  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

*You  shall  go  to  the  party!"  said  the  queer  little 
creature,  stamping  her  foot  on  the  floor.  "You 
have  always  been  a  good  child.  You  have  as  much 
right  to  go  as  your  sisters.  You  shall  go!  and  you 
shall  wear  a  pretty  dress  and  ride  in  a  fine  carriage 
too,  so  dry  your  eyes,  my  dear,  and  bring  me  the 
biggest  yellow  pumpkin  you  can  find  in  the  garden," 
said  the  fairy ;  for  this  little  old  woman  was  really  a 
fairy. 

The  pumpkin  was  so  large  that  Cinderella  could 
hardly  lift  it.  With  a  nod  of  her  pointed  cap, 
the  old  woman  touched  it  with  her  curious  stick  and 
a  carriage,  a  wonderful  carriage,  stood  in  its  place. 
The  cushions  were  soft  velvet  ones,  the  windows 
were  hung  with  curtains  of  silk  and  there  were 
silver  handles  on  both  the  doors. 

"Now  quickly,"  said  the  fairy,  "bring  me  the  traps 
from  the  cellar!"  There  were  six  little  shivering 
mice  in  one  trap  and  two  plump  gray  rats  in  the 
other.  "Open  the  doors!"  said  the  old  woman.  As 
the  six  mice  crept  slowly  out  she  touched  them,  one 
at  a  time,  with  her  long  stick,  which  was  really  a 
fairy  wand,  and  in  a  minute  each  little  mouse  was 
turned  into  a  prancing  gray  horse  that  sprang  to  his 
place  in  front  of  the  carriage.  Tap!  Tap!  went 
the  wand,  and  the  rats  were  nowhere  to  be  seen.  In 
their  place  stood  two  big,  tall  men  with  shiny  boots 
on  their  feet  and  high  hats  on  their  heads.  They 


Cinderella.  75 

jumped  upon  the  box  and  one  of  them  caught  the 
reins  in  his  hands. 

"Now  one  thing  more,  my  dear,"  said  the  fairy 
to  Cinderella ;  "run  into  the  garden  again  and  bring 
the  six  lizards  you  will  find  under  a  big  stone  by  the 
wall."  When  the  lizards  were  brought,  the  fairy 
touched  them  too  and,  in  a  twinkling,  they  jumped 
up  from  the  ground  and  stood  beside  the  carriage 
doors,  three  on  one  side  and  three  on  the  other,  — 
six  little  footmen,  with  six  little  green  coats  on  their 
backs  and  six  little  red  hats  in  their  hands,  all  ready 
to  help  Cinderella  into  her  wonderful  carriage. 

Another  touch  of  the  old  woman's  wand  and 
Cinderella  herself  stood  dressed  in  a  gown  as  blue  as 
the  blue  sky  above  and  all  covered  from  top  to  toe 
with  shining  silver  stars.  She  was  just  going  to 
step  into  the  carriage  and  drive  away  when,  looking 
down,  she  saw  that  her  feet  were  quite  bare,  she  had 
no  shoes  on.  The  fairy  saw  too.  She  smiled  and 
took  a  pair  of  little  slippers  from  her  pocket.  They 
were  all  made  of  glass  and  they  were  such  tiny,  tiny 
slippers  that,  when  Cinderella  had  put  them  on,  she 
looked  the  most  beautiful  maiden  in  the  whole  wide 
world.  "Take  good  care  of  them,  my  dear,"  said 
the  old  woman.  "If  you  want  to  be  happy  be  careful 
how  you  use  those  little  shoes.  Now  go,  child,  but 
there  is  one  thing  you  must  remember,  —  when  the 
clock  strikes  twelve  you  must  be  at  home  again  in 


76  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

this  very  room.  If  you  are  not,  all  your  beautiful 
things  will  vanish  and  you  will  be  left  alone  just  a 
poor  little,  ragged  cinder-maid." 

Cinderella  promised  to  remember.  She  thanked 
the  fairy  and  drove  quickly  away.  At  last  she 
reached  the  big  house  where  the  Prince  was  giving 
the  party.  There  was  music  and  dancing  in  the 
great  hall,  but  when  Cinderella  walked  in,  everybody 
stopped  dancing  and  looked  at  her.  They  said, 
"What  a  pretty  girl !  Who  is  she  ?  Where  did  she 
come  from?  She  must  be  a  princess  to  wear  such 
wonderful  clothes!  She  has  on  such  a  fine  dress, 
she  must  surely  be  a  princess!"  When  the  Prince 
saw  her,  he  asked  her  to  dance  with  him  and,  after 
that,  he  would  dance  with  no  one  else.  But 
Cinderella  remembered  what  the  fairy  had  told  her 
and,  just  before  midnight,  she  slipped  away  and  was 
safe  in  the  kitchen  at  home  when  the  clock  struck 
twelve.  No  one  had  seen  her  leave  the  great  hall. 
No  one  had  seen  her  drive  away,  but  the  Prince 
missed  her  the  moment  she  was  gone  and  had  the 
great  house  searched  from  top  to  bottom,  but  not  a 
trace  of  the  pretty  maiden  could  be  found. 

On  the  second  night  of  the  great  party  all 
happened  as  on  the  first.  Cinderella  was  made 
ready  by  the  fairy  and,  when  she  reached  the  big 
house  on  the  hill,  the  Prince  ran  to  welcome  her. 
He  would  dance  with  no  one  else  as  before  and,  when 


Cinderella.  77 

Cinderella  vanished  just  before  the  clock  struck 
twelve,  he  was  so  unhappy  that  no  one  could  comfort 
him. 

Now  the  third  and  last  night  of  the  party  had 
come.  The  Prince  could  think  of  nothing  but  the 
pretty  maid.  "I  must  know  who  she  is  and  where 
she  comes  from,  or  I  shall  never  be  happy  again. 
I  will  keep  fast  hold  of  her  hand  to-night.  She 
shall  not  slip  away  this  time  as  she  has  always  done 
before,"  said  the  Prince. 

Never  had  Cinderella  been  as  happy  as  on  that 
evening,  never  had  she  danced  as  well,  never  had  the 
lights  shone  brighter  or  the  music  sounded  sweeter, 
never  had  the  Prince  been  half  as  gay.  Cinderella 
danced  on  and  on.  She  forgot  the  fairy,  she  forgot 
her  promise,  she  forgot  the  hour.  The  great  clock 
in  the  hall  ticked  off  the  minutes.  It  was  nearly 
twelve,  still  Cinderella  danced  on  without  a  thought. 
The  six  gray  horses  pawed  restlessly  at  the  door. 
Louder  and  louder  grew  the  music,  faster  and  faster 
flew  the  dancers,  and  the  gayest  of  them  all  was 
Cinderella  as  she  whirled  by  on  the  arm  of  the  happy 
Prince.  But,  hark!  What's  that?  Above  the  noise 
of  the  dancing,  above  the  music  and  laughter,  a 
sound  is  heard.  It  is  the  great  clock  striking  the 
hour  of  midnight. 

Cinderella  heard  at  last,  at  last  she  remembered. 
She  snatched  her  hand  from  the  hand  of  the  Prince. 


78  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

She  rushed  to  the  doorway,  but  she  tripped  upon  the 
mat  and  one  of  her  little  glass  slippers  fell  off.  The 
Prince  ran  after  her,  but  he  stopped  to  pick  up  her 
slipper,  and  when  he  reached  the  gateway  the 
beautiful  lady  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  All  was. 
dark  and  still,  only  a  ragged  beggar-maid,  sobbing 
as  if  her  heart  would  break,  went  quickly  away  into 
the  night.  Poor,  poor  Cinderella !  Her  wonderful 
carriage  had  vanished,  her  beautiful  dress  was  gone, 
nothing  was  left  her  but  one  tiny  glass  slipper.  She 
stooped  and  taking  it  from  her  foot  she  put  it 
carefully  into  the  pocket  of  her  ragged  dress,  and 
walked  barefoot  all  the  way  home  alone  in  the 
darkness. 

Time  passed,  the  poor  Prince  could  not  sleep  by 
night  and  could  not  rest  by  day  for  he  had  lost  his 
beautiful  lady.  He  had  her  little  slipper  and  that 
was  his  only  comfort.  At  last  he  said,  "Whoever 
can  wear  this  slipper  shall  be  my  queen  and  queen 
of  all  my  people." 

He  took  the  precious  slipper  and  he  traveled  far 
and  near  through  all  the  land.  He  stopped  at  every 
cottage  and  he  stopped  at  every  castle  and  he  begged 
every  maiden  whom  he  met  to  try  it  on.  But,  alas ! 
he  found  no  one  with  foot  small  enough  to  wear  it. 
At  last,  one  day,  he  stopped  before  the  only  house 
that,  in  all  his  kingdom,  he  had  not  visited. 
Cinderella's  sisters  hurried  to  meet  him  for  it  was 


Cinderella.  79 

at  their  door  he  stood.  They  tried  and  tried  to 
crowd  their  great  feet  into  the  tiny  slipper,  but  it 
was  of  no  use.  The  Prince  was  turning  sadly  away 
thinking,  "I  shall  never  see  my  beautiful  lady 
again,"  when  he  caught  sight  of  a  face  at  the  kitchen 
window.  "Who  is  that?"  he  cried.  "Oh,  it  is  only 
Cinderella!  a  poor  kitchen  maid,"  said  the  sisters. 
"Let  her  be  brought !  She  too  shall  try  the  slipper !" 
said  the  Prince.  "No !  no !  She  is  too  ragged 
and  dirty  to  be  seen.  Do  you  think  that  a  cinder- 
maid  can  wear  your  shoe  when  we  cannot  get  it  on  ?" 
But  the  Prince  would  have  his  way. 

When  Cinderella  was  brought,  her  dainty  little 
foot  slid  into  the  glass  shoe  as  easily  as  though  she 
had  worn  it  all  her  life.  She  smiled  and  took  its 
mate  from  the  pocket  of  her  ragged  dress.  The 
Prince  smiled  too  and,  looking  into  Cinderella's  face, 
he  saw  his  long  lost  lady  of  the  party.  With  a  cry 
of  joy  he  lifted  her,  all  ragged  as  she  was,  upon  his 
horse  and  the  Prince  and  his  chosen  princess  rode 
away. 


THE    HUT    IN    THE    FOREST. 

"Indra!  Indra!  Indra!  Oh,  Indra!  Where  are 
you?"  called  Carla  and  Alween.  "Come,  Indra,  we 
are  going  home.  Come,  it  will  soon  be  dark.  Hurry, 
or  we  shall  lose  our  way."  But  Indra  did  not 
answer.  In  her  eagerness  to  find  the  biggest 
berries  she  had  strayed  away  from  her  sisters.  Now 
it  was  quite  dark,  and  she  could  not  find  the  path. 
She  called  and  called  but  heard  nothing  save  the 
sound  of  her  own  voice.  At  last,  just  as  she  was 
thinking,  "I  will  have  to  pass  the  night  here  all  alone 
in  the  wood,"  she  saw  a  light  shining  through  the 
darkness.  Following  this  light,  Indra  soon  stood  in 
front  of  a  small  house  at  the  door  of  which  she 
knocked.  "Come  in!"  called  a  harsh  voice.  Step- 
ping inside,  the  girl  saw  before  her  an  old  man 
whose  beard  was  long,  whose  hair  was  white  and 
whose  back  was  bent  almost  double ;  while  lying  near 
him  in  front  of  the  fire,  were  a  cock,  a  hen  and  a 
brindled  cow. 

"I  have  lost  my  way  in  the  forest,"  said  Indra. 
"It  is  dark,  I  have  nowhere  to  sleep  and  I  am  so 
hungry.  Will  you  not  give  me  something  to  eat  and 
a  bed  to  lie  on?" 

The  old  man  looked  at  her  for  a  long  time  with 


82  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

his  sharp,  gray  eyes  then,  turning  to  the  animals  by 
the  fire,  he  said,  - 

"My  cock,  my  hen, 
My  brindled  cow, 
What  say  you  now  ? 
What  say  you  nowx?" 

The  cock,  the  hen,  and  the  brindled  cow  all  opened 
their  mouths  and  called  out  together*  — 

"Oh,  let  her  stay! 

We'll  not  say  nay." 

"Go  into  the  kitchen  and  cook  us  some  supper," 
said  the  old  man  turning  again  to  Indra.  The  girl 
did  as  she  was  bidden.  Soon  a  good  meal  was  ready 
which  she  placed  upon  the  table,  but  she  gave  noth- 
ing to  the  animals  and  without  speaking  to  them, 
or  even  so  much  as  looking  at  them,  she  sat  down  at 
the  old  man's  side  and  ate  heartily. 

"Now  I  am  satisfied,"  said  Indra.  "Show  me 
where  to  sleep."  The  animals  said  nothing.  "Go 
into  the  room  above  and  make  ready  the  two  beds 
you  will  find  there,  then  I  will  come  and  lie  down  and 
sleep  also,  for  I  am  weary,"  said  the  old  man. 

Indra  spread  the  two  beds  with  fresh  linen.  Then 
without  giving  one  thought  to  the  hungry  animals 
below,  she  laid  herself  down  in  one  of  the  beds  and 
fell  fast  asleep. 

When  at  last  the  old  man  climbed  to  the  loft  and 
saw  Indra  lying  in  a  deep  slumber,  he  looked  sorrow- 


The  Hut  in  the  Forest  83 

fully  at  her  for  a  long  time.  Then  shaking  his  head 
sadly  and  slowly,  he  opened  a  curious  door  beneath 
the  bed  on  which  the  girl  lay  and  let  her  down  into 
the  dark,  underground  cellar  of  the  hut. 

That  night  there  was  trouble  and  sorrow  for  good 
Mother  Grougans  and  for  Carla  and  Alween.  As 
soon  as  daylight  came  they  went  forth  to  search  for 
Sister  Indra ;  but,  though  they  scoured  the  forest  far 
and  wide,  not  a  trace  of  her  could  be  found,  and  at 
last  they  were  forced  to  give  their  dear  one  up  as 
lost. 

Now  as  the  two  sisters  Carla  and  Alween  gathered 
berries  in  the  forest  one  day  not  long  after,  Carla,  in 
her  eagerness  to  fill  her  pail  with  the  biggest  berries, 
strayed  away  just  as  her  sister  Indra  had  done. 
Alween  was  forced  to  return  home  alone,  and  it 
happened  with  Carla  just  as  it  had  with  her  elder 
sister.  She  followed  the  light  that  shone  from  the 
cottage  window,  knocked  at  the  door,  entered,  and 
saw  the  old  man  sitting  and  the  animals  lying  by  the 
fire.  She  too  begged  for  food  and  a  bed  in  which  to 
sleep. 

Turning  to  the  animals  the  old  man  said,  — 

"My  cock,  my  hen, 
My  brindled  cow, 
What  say  you  now? 
What  say  you  now?'* 


84  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

The  cock,  the  hen,  and  the  brindled  cow  all  opened 
their  mouths  and  called  out  together,  — 

"Oh,  let  her  stay! 
We'll  not  say  nay." 

Then  the  old  man  sent  Carla  to  prepare  supper. 
Just  as  her  sister  had  done,  she  cooked  and  ate  and 
gave  not  so  much  as  a  glance  or  a  thought  to  the 
hungry  animals.  "Now  I  am  satisfied,"  said  Carla 
at  last.  "Show  me  where  to  sleep."  The  animals 
said  nothing,  but  the  old  man  told  her  to  prepare  the 
two  beds  in  the  loft.  After  spreading  them  with 
fresh  linen  the  girl  laid  herself  down  upon  one  of  the 
beds  and  fell  fast  asleep. 

When  the  old  man  climbed  to  the  loft  and  saw 
Carla  lying  in  a  sound  slumber,  he  opened  the 
curious  door  again  and  let  her  also  down  into  the 
cellar. 

Now  when  Carla  failed  to  return  home,  Mother 
Grougans  was  lost  in  grief  and  she  forbade  her 
youngest  daughter,  Alween,  to  go  into  the  wood  on 
any  account  whatsoever.  And  she  said,  "Shall  I 
lose  my  youngest  and  my  dearest  also?"  But  soon 
mother  and  daughter  were  both  so  hungry  that 
Alween  was  forced  to  go  into  the  forbidden  forest  in 
search  of  food.  In  her  eagerness  to  get  the  largest 
and  the  sweetest  berries  for ,  her  mother,  she  too 
strayed  away  from  the  path,  and  all  happened  with 
her  as  it  had  with  her  sisters. 


The  Hut  in  the  Forest.  85 

When  Alween  entered  the  hut  and  begged  for  food 
and  shelter,  the  old  man  turned  to  his  animals  and 
said,-- • 

My  cock,  my  hen, 
My  brindled  cow, 
What  say  you  now? 
What  say  you  now?" 

The  cock,  the  hen,  and  the  brindled  cow  all  opened 
their  mouths  and  called  out  together, — 

"Oh,  let  her  stay ! 
We'll  not  say  nay." 

Then  Alween  thanked  the  animals  for  their  kind- 
ness and,  going  close  to  them,  she  stroked  the 
smooth  feathers  of  the  cock  and  the  hen  and  patted 
the  brindled  cow  on  the  white  star  in  her  forehead. 
She  made  ready  the  supper  and  set  it  before  the  old 
man;  but,  before  satisfying  her  own  hunger,  she 
said,  "The  good  animals  are  hungry  too.  I  must 
first  get  food  for  them."  So  she  placed  a  bundle  of 
hay  in  front  of  the  brindled  cow  and  scattered  wheat 
and  barley  for  the  cock  and  the  hen  and  brought  a 
fresh  drink  of  water  for  all.  Then  she  herself  ate 
and  was  satisfied. 

That  night  Alween  slept  soundly  in  the  loft  of  the 
little  hut,  but  not  before  she  had  seen  the  old  man 
tucked  snugly  into  his  bed  and  fast  asleep.  When 
she  wakened,  with  the  first  rays  of  morning  light, 
she  thought,  "I  must  dress  quickly  and  get  break- 


86  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

fast  for  the  poor  old  man  and  feed  the  little  cock  and 
the  little  hen  and  the  pretty  brindled  cow."  But 
when  she  opened  her  eyes  she  seemed  to  be  no  longer 
in  the  loft  of  the  little  old  hut  in  the  wood.  Instead 
of  its  dingy  walls  she  saw  before  her  a  vast  hall 
hung  with  cloth  of  gold  and  rich  embroideries,  and 
light  and  sunshine  and  flowers  were  everywhere. 
"I  am  surely  dreaming,"  said  Alween.  Pushing 
aside  the  rich  silken  curtain  of  her  bed,  which  also 
seemed  a  part  of  her  dream",  she  thought  to  dress 
herself;  but  the  poor  ragged  clothes  she  had  put  off 
the  night  before  were  nowhere  to  be  found.  In 
their  place  lay  costly  garments  of  satin  and  velvet. 

"Oh,  this  is  a  dream,  a  dream!"  thought  the  girl. 
She  rubbed  her  eyes  again  and  again  as  she  gazed  at 
the  rich  curtains  and  the  costly  garments  and  the 
splendid  walls  with  their  gay  embroideries.  She 
called  aloud.  She  ran  to  the  old  man's  bed  to  see  if 
he  were  still  asleep, — there  in  his  place  lay  a 
stranger,  young  and  handsome. 

"Oh,  where  is  the  little  old  hut  in  the  forest  and 
where  is  the  poor  old  man?  Oh,  where  is  the  little 
cock  and  the  little  hen  and  the  pretty  brindled  cow 
and  where,  oh,  where  am  I  ?"  she  cried.  At  this  the 
stranger  wakened  and,  sitting  up  in  bed,  he  called 
softly:  "Do  not  run  away.  Alween!  Alween!  Come 
back !  Come  back !  Do  not  be  frightened.  We  are 
all  here.  I  was  the  old  man  with  the  long  white 


The  Hut  in  the  Forest.  87 

beard  and  my  servants  yonder  were  the  cock,  the 
hen  and  the  brindled  cow.  You  have  saved  our 
lives.  You  have  set  us  free.  You  have  delivered 
us  from  worse  than  death.  I  am  a  king's  son,  but 
I  was  bewitched  by  a  wicked  old  fairy  and  forced, 
in  the  form  of  an  old,  old  man,  to  live  here  in  a  hut  in 
the  forest  all  alone,  except  for  my  three  servants, 
who  were  made  to  take  the  form  of  a  cock,  of  a  hen, 
and  of  a  brindled  cow.  Here  we  were  obliged  to 
stay  until  some  one  came  to  us  who  showed  love  and 
kindness  toward  my  animals  as  well  as  toward  my- 
self. You  have  saved  us.  You  have  set  us  free  and 
this  great  palace  and  all  within  it  is  yours." 

And  Alween  married  the  king's  son  and  they  were 
very  happy  together  for  many,  many  years ;  but  her 
sisters  were  forced  to  live  lives  of  hardship  and 
poverty  until  their  hearts  had  grown  more  kindly 
toward  all  living  creatures. 


THE    SLEEPING   PRINCESS. 

Once,  a  long,  long  time  ago,  there  lived  a  brave 
king  and  a  beautiful  queen.  They  ruled  the  land 
wisely ;  they  loved  each  other  dearly,  and  they  would 
have  been  happy  but  for  one  thing — they  had  no 
children. 

At  last  there  came  a  day  of  joy — a  day  that 
brought  a  little  princess  to  the  palace.  The  baby 
girl  grew  strong  and  rosy  and  the  time  for  her 
christening  drew  near.  Then  came  twelve  good 
fairy  godmothers  to  eat  from  the  king's  twelve 
golden  plates,  to  drink  from  his  twelve  golden 
goblets  and  to  bring  twelve  good  wishes  to  his  little 
daughter. 

Now  thirteen  fairies  lived  in  the  kingdom ;  but,  as 
the  king  had  only  twelve  golden  plates  and  twelve 
golden  goblets,  the  thirteenth  fairy  was  not  invited. 
This  made  her  very  angry  and  she  cried,  "I  will  go 
to  the  christening!  I  will  see  the  king's  daughter 
and  the  king  shall  rue  the  day  on  which  he  dared  to 
slight  me!" 

They  named  the  little  princess  Briar  Rose.  The 
first  fairy  godmother  gave  her  beauty.  The  second 
gave  happiness.  "Wisdom  is  my  gift,"  said  number 
three.  "Grace  shall  be  hers,"  cried  four.  "I  give 


90  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

her  wit,"  said  five.  The  sixth  godmother  gave 
sympathy.  The  seventh  gave  wealth.  The  eighth 
said,  "The  princess  shall  have  courage  and  shall  be 
strong  and  brave."  Number  nine  cried,  "Health  is 
hers  as  long  as  ever  she  may  live."  The  tenth  gave 
youth.  "The  Briar  Rose  shall  love  her  people  and 
she  shall  rule  gently  and  where  she  goes  joy  shall  go 
too,"  said  number  eleven.  The  twelfth  fairy  opened 
her  lips  to  wish  long  life,  when,  just  at  that  moment, 
the  thirteenth  fairy,  who  had  not  been  invited,  burst 
into  the  room.  She  pushed  the  good  fairy  aside  and, 
before  anyone  could  stop  her,  she  cried  out  in  a  loud 
angry  voice,  "The  princess  shall  prick  her  finger 
with  a  spindle,  on  her  fifteenth  birthday,  and  shall 
die!"  In  a  moment  all  was  excitement.  The  jealous 
old  fairy  rushed  from  the  palace,  but  the  people 
dashed  after  her.  "Drive  the  wicked  witch  from 
the  kingdom!  Burn  every  spindle  in  the  land!" 
they  cried. 

The  twelfth  fairy  could  not  take  away  the  bad 
wish,  she  could  only  soften  it.  "The  princess  shall 
not  die,"  she  said,  "but  she  shall  fall  into  a  deep 
sleep  that  shall  last  for  a  hundred  years." 

The  jealous  old  fairy  was  driven  far,  far  away. 
The  king  ordered  that  every  spindle  in  the  whole 
land  be  burned.  Then  every  one  was  happy  once 
more,  for  now  all  thought  that  no  harm  could  come 
near  the  little  Briar  Rose. 


The  Sleeping  Princess.  91 


by  day  the  princess  grew  more  gentle  and 
more  beautiful  and  all  who  saw  her  loved  her. 
Years  flew  by,  the  bad  wish  of  the  jealous  old  fairy 
was  forgotten.  All  the  people  thought  that  some 
day  the  little  princess  would  be  their  queen.  She 
was  a  big  girl  now,  almost  a  woman.  At  last  her 
fifteenth  birthday  came  and,  to  amuse  herself  upon 
that  very  morning,  she  went  wandering  about  the 
old  palace  all  alone.  She  peeped  into  unused  rooms  ; 
she  took  curious  old  treasures  into  her  hands;  she 
walked  through  long  halls;  she  ran  up  and  down 
dark  corridors. 

At  last  the  princess  reached  the  topmost  tower  of 
the  great  palace.  Here  a  flight  of  wooden  steps  led 
up  to  a  little  door  that  she  had  never  before  seen. 
The  door  was  close  shut,  but  a  rusty  key  stood  in  the 
lock.  She  sprang  upon  the  stairs.  She  turned  the 
rusty  key.  The  door  swung  slowly  open  and  the 
princess  saw  that,  in  a  far  corner  of  a  dimly  lighted 
room,  sat  a  little,  bent  old  woman.  She  was  spin- 
ning. It  was  really  the  jealous  old  fairy,  who  had 
uttered  the  bad  wish  so  many  years  ago,  but  the 
princess  did  not  know  this. 

"Good  morrow,  good  mother,"  she  said.  But  the 
old  woman  kept  on  spinning. 

"Who  are  you  and  where  did  you  come  from?" 
cried  the  princess.  But  the  old  woman  kept  on 
spinning. 


92  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

"Why  do  you  sit  by  yourself  in  this  dark  room? 
Have  you  no  home?  Have  you  no  friends?  Have 
you  no  fire  to  warm  you,  or  light  to  cheer  you?" 
But  the  old  woman  kept  on  spinning. 

At  last,  getting  no  answer  to  her  questions,  the 
little  Briar  Rose  stepped  across  the  threshold.  She 
stood  beside  the  old  woman's  chair,  and,  bending 
over  it,  called  out  in  her  sweet  tones,  "What  is  that  I 
see  in  your  hand,  good  mother,  which  whirls  about 
so  merrily?"  But  the  old  woman  only  kept  on 
spinning. 

"Let  me  take  that  curious  thing,"  said  the 
princess,  reaching  out  her  hand  for  the  spindle. 

Then  for  the  first  time  the  old  woman  lifted  her 
ugly  face.  She  rose  quickly  from  her  chair.  She 
thrust  the  spindle  into  the  girl's  hand.  She  opened 
her  wicked  old  lips.  "Take  it,"  she  croaked,  "and 
may  death  go  with  it!" 

Scarcely  had  the  spindle  touched  the  hand  of  the 
poor  princess  when  a  tiny  stream  of  blood  flowed 
from  her  little  finger  and  she  fell  into  a  deep,  deep 
sleep. 

At  that  moment  every  one  in  the  great  palace  fell 
fast  asleep  also.  The  king  slept  upon  his  golden 
throne;  the  queen  slept  in  her  royal  parlor;  the 
judges  slept  on  the  council  benches.  Fast  asleep 
fell  lords  and  ladies  of  the  court.  Even  the  flies 
slept  on  the  walls,  and  the  fires  died  down  upon  the 


The  Sleeping  Princess.  93 

palace  hearths.  The  dogs  slept  in  their  kennels,  and 
the  horses  in  their  stalls.  Outside  the  birds  slept 
on  the  branches,  and  the  drowsy  bees  slept  in  the 
drooping  flowers.  Not  even  a  leaf  stirred  upon  a 
single  tree  within  the  castle  yard,  but  all  was  quiet 
and  as  still  as  death.  A.  hedge  of  thorn  trees  shot 
up  around  the  palace  and,  in  a  single  night,  the 
hedge  grew  so  thick  that  not  a  chink  of  light  shone 
through  it,  and  so  tall  that  not  even  the  tallest  palace 
spire  could  be  seen  above  it. 

Years  went  by  and  Briar  Rose  was  forgotten.  No 
one  living  knew  what  was  hidden  behind  the  great 
hedge.  Old  tales  were  sometimes  told  of  a  beautiful 
princess  who  lay  there  asleep  and,  every  now  and 
then,  a  bold  young  prince  would  try  to  force  his  way 
through  the  hedge;  but  the  thorns  were  so  sharp 
that  no  one  had  ever  caught  so  much  as  a  glimpse 
even  of  the  old  castle,  in  which  this  beautiful 
princess  slept. 

At  last  there  came  a  handsome  prince,  bolder  than 
all  the  others,  who. cried,  "I  will  break  down  this 
hedge!  I  will  set  this  princess  free!"  Now  it 
happened  that  that  very  day  ended  the  long  sleep  of 
the  Briar  Rose.  All  the  hundred  summers  had  just 
passed  by.  The  wish  had  come  true  and  it  was  now 
time  for  the  beautiful  princess  to  awake,  but  the 
bold  prince  did  not  know  this.  He  drew  his  sword. 
He  rushed  upon  the  hedge,  when,  lo!  the  sharp 


94  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

thorns  turned  aside;  the  branches  opened  and  there 
before  him  stood  the  sleeping  palace. 

He  burst  the  gates.  Not  even  a  leaf  stirred  upon 
a  single  tree  within  the  castle  yard.  Not  a 
dog  bayed  in  the  kennels.  Not  a  horse  whinnied  in 
the  stalls.  Not  a  bird  sang  in  the  branches.  Not  a 
bee  droned  in  the  flowers.  All  was  as  still  as  death. 
He  burst  the  palace  doors.  There  slept  the  king 
upon  his  golden  throne.  There  slept  the  queen  with- 
in her  royal  parlor.  There  slept  the  judges  on  the 
council  benches.  There  slept  the  lords  and  ladies  of 
the  court;  but  the  princess,  the  beautiful  princess, 
where  was  she  ?  He  looked  in  all  the  splendid  rooms. 
He  searched  the  halls  and  corridors  but  no  princess 
could  he  find.  He  climbed  the  winding  stairway, — 
higher  and  higher  up  he  went,  higher  and  yet  higher 
still.  At  last  he  reached  the  little  chamber.  Would 
he  find  her  here?  He  turned  the  rusty  key.  The 
low  door  opened.  He  entered.  There  before  him 
lay — could  it  be  she,  the  sleeping  beauty?  Her 
eyes  were  closed,  but  her  cheeks  were  pink  like  the 
wild  roses  at  the  gate.  Her  lips  were  red  like  the 
scarlet  ribbon  that  she  wore.  Her  black  hair  had 
grown  to  her  very  feet  and  lay  about  her  like  a 
splendid  dress.  "Would  she  waken?"  thought  the 
prince.  He  stooped!  He  caught  his  breath!  He 
kissed  her!  The  charm  was  broken!  Her  eyes 
flew  open  and  the  princess  smiled  upon  her  prince. 


The  Sleeping  Princess.  95 

Just  at  that  moment  the  king  rose  from  his 
golden  throne.  The  queen  swept  from  her  royal 
parlor.  The  judges  yawned  on  the  council  benches. 
Awake  came  lords  and  ladies  of  the  court.  Again 
the  fires  leaped  up  upon  the  palace  hearths.  Again 
the  flies  buzzed  on  the  window  panes.  A  wind  blew 
through  the  castle  yard.  Again  the  birds  sang  in 
the  branches  and  the  bees  droned  in  the  flowers. 
Again  the  dogs  barked  in  the  kennels  and  the  horses 
whinnied  in  the  stalls. 

The  hundred  years  were  past  and  all  was  life  and 
joy  once  more.  Out  of  the  palace  gates  rode  the 
bold  prince,  and  beside  him  rode  the  happy  princess, 
whom  his  kiss  had  waked. 


TOPSY    STORIES, 
1.    THE  COMING  OF  TOPSY. 

One  night,  when  Alice  was  a  very  little  girl,  her 
papa  came  home  early  from  the  office.  He  carried 
a  small  basket  in  his  hand,  but  when  he  saw  Alice 
he  put  the  basket  behind  his  back ;  his  eyes  twinkled 
as  he  did  so. 

"Guess  what  I  have  brought  you,  little  daughter," 
he  said.  "Something  to  play  with." 

Alice  ran  and  caught  fast  hold  of  her  papa's  knees 
with  her  two  chubby  arms,  and  her  eyes  grew  big 
and  bright  as  she  peeped  around  at  the  basket. 

"Oh,  what  is  it,  papa?     Do  let  me  see." 

"You  must  guess  first,"  said  her  papa;  "such  a 
fine  plaything." 

"I  know;  it's  a  dolly!"  cried  Alice. 

Papa  laughed.  "No,  it's  ever  so  much  better  than 
a  dolly,  for  it's  alive,"  he  said. 

"Oh,  then  it's  a  bird,"  cried  the  little  girl. 

But  her  papa  only  shook  his  head. 

"Maybe  it's  a  bunny,  then,"  said  Alice. 

"No,  no,  you  will  never  guess  right, "laughed  papa, 
"so  I  will  have  to  tell  you.  Just  listen  a  moment," 
he  said,  as  he  held  the  basket  close  to  Alice's  ear. 

The  little  girl  stood  on  her  tiptoes  and  fairly  held 


98  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

her  breath.  Soon  she  heard  a  faint  sound :  "Meow! 
meow!  meow!" 

"It's  a  kitty!  It's  a  kitty!  Do  open  the  basket 
quickly,  papa/'  cried  Alice,  dancing  up  and  down 
and  clapping  her  hands.  Then  she  tried  to  push  her 
fingers  under  the  cover. 

Sure  enough,  when  the  basket  was  opened  there 
lay  a  tiny  kitten. 

"Oh,  isn't  she  black!"  cried  the  little  girl. 

"Yes,  indeed,  she  is,"  said  Alice's  papa.  "I  should 
call  her  Topsy.  There  isn't  a  white  hair  in  her 
whole  glossy  coat,  from  the  tip  of  her  little  pink  nose 
to  the  end  of  her  little  black  tail." 

"What  big  yellow  eyes!  And  oh,  look!  look! 
what  funny  feet  she  has!  Why  are  they  so  large, 
papa?"  asked  Alice. 

"That's  because  she  is  a  seven-toed  kitten,  little 
daughter.  I  expect  that  she  will  catch  a  great  many 
mice  with  those  big  feet  of  hers,  when  she  grows  to 
be  a  cat." 

Alice  turned  one  of  the  funny  front  paws  over. 
"One,  two,  three,  four,  five,  six,  seven,"  she  counted. 
"Yes,  there  are  just  seven  toes  here,  but  look,  papa, 
there  are  not  so  many  on  her  hind  feet.  I  wonder  if 
she  is  hungry.  May  I  feed  her,  mamma?" 

Mamma  brought  some  milk,  and  soon  Topsv 
seemed  to  feel  quite  at  home.  She  lapped  the  milk 
with  her  little  red  tongue,  until  there  was  not  a  drop 


The  Coming  of  Topsy.  99 

of  it  left  in  the  saucer.  Then  she  began  to  purr  and 
to  rub  her  face  against  the  hand  of  her  new  mistress. 
Finally  she  curled  up  in  Alice's  lap  until  she  looked 
like  a  shiny  black  ball,  and  began  blinking  at  the  fire 
with  sleepy  eyes. 

Alice  was  sleepy,  too.  She  curled  up  in  papa's 
lap,  just  as  kitty  had  done  in  hers,  and  soon  Topsy 
and  she  were  both  fast  asleep. 


TOPSY    STORIES. 
II.    How  TOPSY  KEPT  WARM. 

"Is  that  Topsy  crying?"  said  Alice's  mamma,  one 
morning.  "Listen  a  moment." 

Alice  stopped  playing  with  her  doll  and  kept  very 
quiet.  Yes,  she  could  hear  a  faint  meow.  She  ran 
to  the  outside  door  and  opened  it,  but  kitty  was  not 
there.  She  listened  again,  and  again  she  heard  the 
same  sound:  "Meow!  meow!  meow!" 

"Perhaps  kitty  is  at  the  other  door,"  said  Alice's 
mamma. 

Alice  turned  the  knob  and  pulled  the  door  wide 
open;  but  only  a  rush  of  cold  air  and  a  few  snow- 
flakes  came  in. 

"Where  can  she  be,  mamma?  Oh,  I  know  now! 
She  is  down  cellar,"  said  Alice.  But  no  kitty  was 
there.  "Maybe  she  is  in  the  wood  shed.  I'll  run 
and  see!  No,  mamma,  she  isn't  there,  either.  I 
don't  think  she  is  happy,  wherever  she  is.  She 
doesn't  sound  so.  Just  hear  her  cry!" 

Both  listened  again  to  the  half -smothered  meow. 

"No,  she  doesn't  sound  very  happy,  pet,"  said 
mamma.  "She  is  shut  up  somewhere  and  can't  get 
out.  We  must  find  her." 

So  the  mother  and  the  little  girl  began  to  search 
for  Topsy.  Upstairs  and  downstairs  they  went, 
looking  everywhere.  They  opened  all  the  closet 


A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

doors,  they  looked  into  all  the  trunks  and  boxes. 
They  even  peeped  into  the  baby's  hamper  and  lifted 
the  lid  of  grandmother's  big  workbasket;  but  no 
kitty  did  they  find.  Still  they  could  hear  her  crying 
"Meow I  meow!  meow!"  all  the  time. 

Back  to  the  kitchen  they  went.  "She  must  be  in 
this  room,"  said  mamma;  "the  meowing  sounds 
louder  here  than  it  does  anywhere  else." 

Round  and  round  the  room  went  Alice,  peeping 
everywhere.  Her  mother  looked  in  all  the  places, 
too.  No  kitty  in  the  cupboard,  no  kitty  in  the  china 
closet,  no  kitty  in  the  washtubs,  no  kitty  in  the  wood 
box! 

At  last  Alice  stood  still,  quite  close  to  the  big 
stove,  wondering  where  she  could  look  next. 

"Meow!  meow!  meow!" 

"Oh,  mamma.     It  sounds  loudest  right  here!" 

Alice's  mother  bent  her  head  and, listened.  "So 
it  does,"  she  said.  Then  she  put  her  hand  on  the 
door  of  the  big  warming  oven.  She  pulled  it  open, 
and — out  walked  Topsy,  very  warm  indeed,  but  not 
hurt  at  all. 

Alice  caught  kitty  up  in  her  arms  and  gave  her  a 
good  hug.  The  poor  cat's  fur  was  quite  hot. 

"It's  a  good  thing  for  pussy  that  we  found  her  as 
soon  as  we  did,"  said  mamma. 

Alice  gave  Topsy  a  saucer  of  milk,  and  soon  her 
pet  was  curled  up  in  the  doll's  cradle  fast  asleep  and 
none  the  worse  for  her  warming. 


TOPSY    STORIES. 

III.    How  TOPSY  MOTHERED  HER  NEIGHBOR'S 
KITTENS. 

Topsy  had  no  babies  of  her  own.  Tarlequin,  her 
next  door  neighbor,  had  two  soft,  little,  cuddley  ones. 
Topsy  was  lonely.  Her  tail  grew  big  and  bushy,  and 
her  eyes  grew  dark  and  bright  as  she  trotted  off 
toward  the  wood  shed  where,  in  a  barrel  of  nice 
smelling  shavings,  her  neighbor  had  set  up  house- 
keeping. 

Tarlequin  was  not  at  home  that  morning.  Topsy 
did  not  stop  to  knock,  but  gave  a  big  spring  and 
landed  right  in  the  middle  of  the  babies'  bed.  Then 
she  took  one  of  the  babies  right  in  her  mouth  by  the 
loose  skin  at  the  back  of  its  neck,  jumped  out  of  the 
barrel,  and  ran  home  as  fast  as  she  could.  She  laid 
the  stolen  kitten  softly  down  on  her  own  bed,  and  be- 
gan to  wash  it  all  over  with  her  funny  rough  tongue. 

Soon  the  kitten  began  to  cry,  for  it  was  hungry 
and  missed  its  own  mother. 

Alice  heard  the  strange  sound  and  ran  to  find  out 
what  it  could  be. 

When  Topsy  saw  her  little  mistress,  she  curled 
herself  up  all  around  the  stolen  baby  and  began  to 
growl  and  hiss,  something  she  had  never  done  to 
Alice  before. 


104  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

"Oh,  mamma,  do  come  and  see  what  Topsy  has 
found!" 

"Well,  well!"  said  mamma.  "It  is  one  of 
Tarlequin's  babies.  Where  did  she  get  it?" 

"Why  are  Topsy's  eyes  so  shiny,  and  why  does  she 
growl  at  me,  mamma?  I  am  afraid  to  touch  her," 
said  Alice. 

"She  thinks  that  you  are  going  to  take  the  kitten 
away,  little  daughter ;  but  it  will  never  do  to  let  her 
keep  it.  Tarlequin  will  miss  it  and,  besides,  we 
have  no  way  of  feeding  it. 

Alice's  mother  began  to  talk  softly  to  Topsy. 
After  a  while  she  put  her  hand  down  and  gently 
stroked  the  cat's  face.  Very  soon  Topsy  allowed 
mamma  to  take  both  herself  and  the  little  kitten  up 
in  her  arms.  Then  mamma  carried  them  back  to 
Tarlequin's  barrel  in  the  neighbor's  wood  shed. 

Tarlequin  was  at  home  this  time.  She  seemed 
very  glad  to  see  her  lost  baby  back  again  and  called, 
"Meow!  meow!  meow!" 

Mamma  stroked  Tarlequin,  saying,  "Nice  kitty! 
nice  kitty!"  Then  she  put  Topsy  right  down  in  the 
nest  beside  Tarlequin  and  stroked  her.  Soon  the 
two  cats  were  purring  softly  and  licking  each  other 
and  the  two  kittens  by  turns. 

That  was  the  last  time  that  Topsy  was  ever  lonely, 
for  she  lived  in  Tarlequin's  barrel  after  that,  and 
helped  bring-  up  Tarlequin's  babies ;  and  she  took 


Topsy  and  Her  Neighbor's  Kittens.         105 

just  as  good  care  of  them  as  their  own  mother  did, 
too. 

She  cuddled  close  to  them  when  they  were  asleep 
so  that  they  would  not  feel  cold.  Every  day  she 
licked  their  coats  until  they  were  smooth  and  shiny. 
When  the  kittens  were  big  enough,  Topsy  brought 
them  all  the  plump  mice  they  could  eat,  and  she  let 
them  tumble  and  scramble  all  over  her,  nip  at  her 
ears  and  play  with  her  tail  as  much  as  ever  they 
liked. 

"Isn't  Tarlequin  real  good,  mamma,"  said  Alice 
one  day,  as  she  saw  her  pet  frolicking  with  the  two 
kittens,  "to  let  poor  Topsy  help  bring  up  her 
babies?" 

"Yes,  indeed,"  said  mamma;  "and  I  wonder  if 
there  was  ever  a  family  of  kits  before  that  had  two 
mothers  at  the  same  time!" 


TOPSY    STORIES. 
IV.    TOPSY'S  HIDING  PLACE. 

All  around  the  kitchen  they  went,  playing  hide 
and  seek.  Topsy  hid  under  the  stove,  Alice  hid  in 
the  cupboard ;  Topsy  hid  behind  the  wood  box,  Alice 
hid  under  the  table ;  Topsy  hid  in  the  corner  back  of 
the  coal  hod,  Alice  hid  in  the  folds  of  mamma's  big 
apron  hanging  behind  the  kitchen  door;  but  they 
never  failed  to  find  each  other  and  always  had  a 
great  frolic  after  each  one's  hiding  place  was  dis- 
covered. 

At  last  the  play  was  over  and  Topsy  went  fast 
asleep,  lying  on  her  back  in  the  doll's  cradle.  She 
looked  very  funny,  with  her  paws  sticking  straight 
up  in  the  air. 

Soon  Alice  wanted  to  put  dolly  to  bed;  so  Topsy 
found  another  nice  resting  place,  stretched  out  in 
mamma's  workbasket,  with  her  front  paws  lying  on 
the  pincushion ;  but  when  mamma  came  for  thimble 
and  thread  kitty  was  forced  to  move  again. 

"Meow!  meow!"  she  said.  "I  will  get  out  of  every 
one's  way,  and  go  where  I  can  sleep  as  long  as  I 
please  without  being  disturbed!"  So  Topsy  sprang 
upon  the  table,  then  upon  a  tall  folded  screen  near 
by,  and,  with  a  big  jump,  landed  at  last  on  the  very 
tiptop  of  the  china  closet.  No  one  saw  her.  She 


108  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

crept  far  back  against  the  wall  and  was  soon  fast 
asleep,  lying  in  a  nice  warm  corner,  just  under  the 
ceiling. 

After  a  time  Alice  grew  tired  of  playing  with  her 
doll  and  looked  about  for  kitty,  but  kitty  was  no- 
where to  be  seen.  The  little  girl  went  to  the  door 
and  called,  "Kitty!  kitty!  kitty!"  but  no  kitty  came. 
She  called  again,  but  no  shrill  meow  answered  her. 
She  called  again  and  again,  but  still  no  Topsy  was 
to  be  heard  or  seen. 

"Oh,  mamma,  where  can  kitty  be?"  said  Alice, 
with  tears  in  her  eyes.  "I  am  afraid  she  is  lost.  I 
haven't  seen  her  for  ever  so  long." 

"Have  you  looked  in  all  the  hiding  places? 
Perhaps  she  has  gone  fast  asleep  somewhere  and 
doesn't  hear  you  call,"  said  mamma. 

So  Alice  began  to  search  for  her  pet,  but  though 
she  looked  everywhere  no  kitty  did  she  find.  She 
called  and  called  again,  but  all  in  vain;  no  Topsy 
answered  her. 

"Never  mind,  little  daughter,"  said  mamma, 
"kitty  has  probably  gone  off  hunting  and  will 
surprise  you  by  and  by  with  a  big  fat  mouse." 

So  Alice  was  comforted ;  and  though  she  felt  very 
lonely  with  no  furry  ball  snuggled  in  her  lap  and  no 
bright-eyed  playmate  scampering  at  her  heels,  she 
tried  to  be  happy  playing  with  her  dolly  and  looking 
at  her  new  picture  book. 


Topsy's  Hiding  Place.  109 

At  last  the  long  day  was  over  and  night  came.  It 
brought  no  Topsy,  but  it  did  bring  papa  from  his 
work'.  When  Alice  saw  him  coming,  she  ran  out 
to  meet  him  and,  throwing  herself  into  his  arms, 
poured  out  all  her  trouble :  "Oh,  papa,  Topsy  is  lost ! 
We  can't  find  her  anywhere !  She  has  been  gone  all 
day  long!  I  have  looked  and  looked,  and  called  and 
called,  but  she  doesn't  come!" 

Papa  comforted  his  little  daughter  as  papas  know 
how  to  do.  "Cheer  up !  little  girl.  We  will  find  her 
after  supper,"  he  said. 

When  the  pleasant  evening  meal  was  over  and  all 
the  family  sat  around  the  cozy  fire,  papa  said:  "I 
think  I  know  how  to  make  Topsy  come,  if  she  is  in 
the  house." 

"Oh,  how?"  cried  Alice. 

Papa  said  nothing  but  he  puckered  up  his  lips  and 
began  to  whistle  in  loud,  shrill  tones.  At  the  first 
note  something  stirred  on  top  of  the  china  closet. 
Then  there  was  a  short,  protesting  meow.  Papa 
kept  on  whistling.  Kitty  stood  up  and  began  to 
stretch.  As  the  shrill  music  continued,  Topsy 
walked  to  the  edge  of  the  cupboard  and  looked  down. 

"Oh,  there  she  is !  there  she  is !"  cried  Alice.  "Oh, 
my  own  dear  kitty !  But  what  a  funny  place  to  hide 
in!" 

Louder  and  shriller  grew  papa's  whistling.  Kitty 
jumped  upon  the  screen  and  then  leaped  to  the  table. 


110  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

Still  papa  whistled  on.  Topsy  sprang  to  the  floor 
and,  jumping  into  papa's  lap,  began  to  rub  her  face 
against  his  breast.  "Meow!  meow!"  she  said. 
Still  the  shrill  noise  did  not  stop.  Pussy  put  her 
front  paws  high  up  on  papa's  chest  and  rubbed  her 
face  against  his  chin,  at  the  same  time  nipping  it 
gently  with  her  teeth  and  calling,  "Meow!  meow!" 
which  meant,  "Stop!  stop!  Please,  master,  I  am 
here.  What  do  you  want?  Oh,  do  stop  that  dread- 
ful noise!" 

So  papa  stopped  whistling  and  Alice  and  Topsy 
had  a  fine  frolic  before  bedtime. 

This  was  the  first  and  only  time  that  Topsy  was 
ever  lost;  but  to  this  day,  she  will  sometimes  steal 
away  and  sleep  for  hours  on  her  lofty  perch,  heed- 
less of  coaxing  or  scolding,  and  only  dislodged  at 
night  by  papa's  shrill  whistle. 


TOPSY    STORIES. 
V.    TOPSY'S  BABIES. 

"I  must  teach  the  kittens  some  tricks,"  said  Alice 
one  day.  "They  are  getting  so  big  and  plump. 
Don't  you  think  they  are  old  enough  to  learn  to  do 
things,  mamma?" 

"Well,  little  daughter,  suppose  you  try  teaching 
them,"  said  mamma. 

So  Alice  went  to  the  door  and  called:  "Kittens! 
kittens !  kittens !  Come,  Tip !  Come,  Trot !  Come, 
kittens!"  Now  their  real  names  were  Tipkins  and 
Trotkins,  but  Alice  always  called  them  Tip  and  Trot 
for  short. 

When  the  kittens  heard  their  little  mistress  call, 
they  came  running  as  fast  as  their  fat  little  bodies 
and  their  short  little  legs  would  let  them  come;  for 
"Kittens,  kittens,  kittens!"  almost  always  meant: 
"Here  is  some  nice  warm  milk  to  drink." 

Alice  gathered  the  funny  little  things  up  in  her 
arms.  They  looked  just  exactly  alike,  for  Tipkins 
had  a  black  spot  on  the  end  of  his  tail,  and  Trotkins 
had  a  black  spot  on  the  end  of  his  tail,  too ;  Tipkins' 
eyes  were  blue,  so  were  Trotkins' ;  Tipkins'  nose  was 
black,  and  Trotkins'  nose  was  black,  too.  Alice 
often  wondered  how  their  mother,  Topsy,  ever  told 
them  apart. 


112  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

"Now,"  said  the  little  girl,  "you  have  grown  to  be 
such  big  pussies  that  it  is  time  you  learned  to  work. 
You  must  earn  your  dinner.  What  do  you  say  to 
that?" 

"Meow!  meow!"  said  Tipkins.  "Meow!  meow!" 
said  Trotkins.  "Meow!  meow!"  said  Tipkins  and 
Trotkins  together.  Which  seemed  to  mean,  "That 
we  will,  little  mistress;  only  show  us  how." 

Alice  took  a  tiny  bit  of  meat  in  her  fingers  and  let 
one  of  the  kittens  smell  of  it;  then  she  said  very 
slowly,  "Now,  pussy,  roll  over."  The  kitten  liked 
the  smell  of  the  meat  very  much,  so  he  said,  "Meow! 
meow!"  but  he  did  not  know  in  the  least  what  "roll 
over"  meant,  so  he  did  nothing.  "Roll  over,  kitty," 
said  his  little  mistress  again,  but  he  only  said, 
"Meow!  meow!  meow!"  once  more.  Then  Alice 
made  pussy  lie  down,  and  she  gently  rolled  him  over 
with  her  hand,  saying  very  slowly  as  she  did  so, 
"Roll  over."  After  this  she  gave  him  the  bit  of 
meat. 

Then  it  was  the  other  kitten's  turn.  He  had  no 
more  idea  than  his  brother  what  "roll  over"  meant ; 
but  after  Alice  had  said  the  words  two  or  three 
times,  she  gently  rolled  his  plump  little  body  over, 
too,  and  then  gave  him  the  nice  bit  of  meat  also. 
Then  she  set  a  big  saucer  of  milk  down  in  front  of 
her  pets,  and  so  ended  the  first  lesson  of  Tipkins  and 
Trotkins. 


Topsy's  Babies.  H3 

This  was  only  the  first  of  many  lessons,  however. 
Alice  worked  patiently  with  the  kittens  every  day 
for  a  whole  month  and,  at  the  end  of  that  time,  both 
Tipkins  and  Trotkins  knew  just  what  she  meant  and 
would  roll  over  every  time  she  told  them  to,  even 
though  they  got  not  a  scrap  of  anything  good  to  eat 
in  return. 

Tipkins  seemed  to  think  it  was  great  fun,  and  he 
would  sometimes  roll  over  five  or  six  times  without 
stopping,  just  as  Alice  herself  often  rolled  on  the 
grass  when  at  play.  But  Trotkins  never  seemed  to 
like  doing  it,  and  would  turn  round  and  round  until 
he  was  fairly  dizzy  before  finally  lying  down.  Then, 
as  he  rolled  over,  he  would  give  a  funny  meow,  as 
much  as  to  say,  "I  don't  like  to;  but,  if  I  must,  I 
will." 

Tipkins  learned  to  ring  a  small  bell  by  striking  it 
with  one  of  his  front  paws.  Trotkins  could  never  be 
coaxed  to  touch  this  bell;  but  he  would  sit  by  while 
his  brother  rang  it  and  cry,  "Meow!  meow!  meow!" 
Alice  thought  that  this  was  very  funny,  and  she  said 
that  Trot  sang  while  Tip  did  the  playing. 

Both  the  kittens  learned  to  jump  over  a  stick 
when  their  mistress  held  one  out  in  her  hand,  about 
a  foot  from  the  floor;  and  Alice  taught  Tipkins  to 
jump  through  a  small  wooden  hoop;  but  she  could 
never  persuade  Trotkins  even  once  to  try  to  jump 
through  the  hoop. 


114  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

As  Tipkins  and  Trotkins  grew  older,  their  mother, 
Topsy,  taught  them  to  hunt  for  mice  in  the  big,  dark 
barn,  and  to  catch  moles  and  grasshoppers  in  the 
field.  They  had  less  and  less  time,  as  the  days  went 
by,  to  play  with  their  little  mistress ;  and  Alice  found 
them  so  sleepy,  when  they  did  have  time,  that  at 
last  she  gave  up  trying  to  teach  them  any  new  antics. 

As  the  months  passed  by  they  grew  sleek  and  fat. 
They  were  kittens  no  longer,  but  had  grown  as  large 
and  could  hunt  as  well  as  Mother  Topsy;  and  al- 
though they  learned  no  new  tricks  now,  the  old  ones, 
taught  them  by  their  little  mistress,  were  never 
forgotten  by  Tipkins  and  Trotkins. 


ETHEL'S    FRIENDS. 

Ethel  was  a  little  girl  who  lived  in  the  great  city 
of  New  York,  but  she  loved  the  country  very  much 
and  often  wished  that  she  could  play  in  the  big, 
green  fields  or  pick  wild  flowers  in  the  wood.  She 
remembered  one  summer,  when  she  was  a  very  little 
girl,  staying  in  the  country  for  ever  so  many  days, 
almost  a  whole  month,  and  having  such  a  happy 
time  lying  on  the  grass,  listening  to  the  birds,  and 
watching  the  cows  and  horses  and  sheep,  the  cun- 
ning little  lambs,  and  the  old  white  hen  with  her 
brood  of  downy  chicks.  Oh,  how  she  did  wish  that 
she  could  see  them  all  again !  But  the  country  was 
far,  far  away,  and  Ethel's  papa  and  mamma  were 
too  busy  to  take  their  little  daughter  there. 

There  was  a  place  in  the  big  city  called  Central 
Park  that  seemed  to  Ethel  like  the  country.  She 
loved  to  go  there,  and  had  a  happy  time  watching  the 
sparrows  as  they  scratched  for  seeds  and  looked 
about  for  crumbs,  and  trying  to  get  the  gray 
squirrels  to  come  nearer  and  take  nuts  from  her 
hand.  Here,  some  days,  0  happiest  times  of  all! 
she  could  lie  with  her  rosy  face  buried  in  the  short, 
green  grass,  and  press  it  close,  oh!  so  close  to  the 
"great  brown  house,"  the  home  of  the  flowers. 


116  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

One  sunshiny  day  in  June  Ethel  had  been  playing 
in  the  park  for  a  long  time.  Though  she  had  coaxed 
and  coaxed  the  squirrels,  they  would  not  come  near ; 
and  though  she  had  listened  for  a  long  time  to  the 
hoarse  croak  of  a  frog,  and  watched  and  waited, 
and  looked  about  with  big  bright  eyes,  she  could  not 
get  even  so  much  as  a  peep  at  him.  At  last  she  grew 
very  tired  and  sat  down  upon  a  bench  near  by  to 
rest  before  going  home.  Scarcely  was  she  seated 
when  she  heard  some  one  call  her  name.  "Ethel! 
Ethel!"  a  sweet  voice  said.  She  looked  all  about 
but  could  see  no  one.  "Ethel!  Ethel!"  it  called 
again,  this  time  very  near.  She  looked  around,  say- 
ing, "Here  I  am;  who  is  calling?"  "It  is  I.  Don't 
you  see  me?  I  am  close  beside  you,"  said  the  same 
sweet  voice. 

Looking  down  Ethel  saw  at  her  feet  a  tiny 
creature  all  dressed  in  dainty  green.  "Oh !"  thought 
she,  "this  must  really  and  truly  be  a  fairy.  Why,  I 
supposed  fairies  were  only  make-believe  people!'' 
and  Ethel  was  so  surprised  that  she  forgot  to  answer 
the  little  creature. 

Soon  the  fairy  said:  "Ethel,  because  you  love 
the  birds  and  the  flowers  and  the  trees  and  all  the 
animals,  I  have  come  to  take  you  out  into  the 
country  to  visit  your  friends." 

Ethel  clapped  her  hands  and  said:  "Oh,  I 
should  love  to  go  to  the  country!  but  I  haven't  any 
friends  there." 


Ethel's  Friends.  117 

"Yes,  you  have,"  said  the  fairy,  "come  and  see." 

So  away  they  went,  and  Ethel  all  the  time 
wondered  whom  the  fairy  could  possibly  mean  by 
her  friends ;  but  they  went  so  fast  that,  before  she 
had  time  to  do  much  thinking,  Ethel  found  herself 
in  a  great,  green  meadow,  bright  and  fresh  and 
cool.  Soon  they  came  to  a  tree  with  spreading 
branches;  and  there,  lying  under  it  and  resting  in 
its  shade,  was  a  gentle  looking  creature  with  soft 
eyes,  long  smooth  horns,  and  a  hairy  dress  of  red 
and  white. 

"Here,"  said  the  fairy,  "is  one  of  your  friends, 
and  a  very  good  friend  she  is  too."  "Oh,"  said 
Ethel, "now  I  know  whom  you  mean  by  my  friends!" 

I  wonder  who  can  tell  me  why  the  fairy  called  the 
cow  Ethel's  friend.  Yes,  because  without  this 
friend  Ethel  would  miss  her  cup  of  milk  at  break- 
fast and  the  golden  butter  for  her  bread. 

Ethel  gave  the  white  star  on  the  cow's  forehead  a 
gentle  pat  and,  looking  into  her  great  dark  eyes,  she 
said,  "Surely  you  are  my  friend,  Bossy."  But  the 
fairy  said,  "Come  on,  little  girl,  there  are  many 
more  friends  to  see."  So  Ethel  visited  all  the 
friendly  animals, — the  sheep  with  their  woolly  coats, 
the  pigs  in  their  sty,  the  chickens,  the  ducks  and  the 
geese  in  the  barnyard,  the  pigeons  in  their  home  on 
the  roof,  the  great  clever  collie  in  his  kennel ;  and  she 
found  that  she  owed  something  to  every  one  of  them. 


118  A  Kindergarten  Story  Book. 

Just  as  she  was  giving  Rover  a  farewell  pat,  old 
Dobbin,  harnessed  to  the  farm  wagon,  came  clatter- 
ing up  to  the  barn.  "Here  comes  the  best  friend 
of  all!"  cried  Ethel.  "What  should  we  do  without 
Dobbin  to  carry  the  milk  and  the  butter  and  the  eggs 
to  the  city,  to  draw  the  wood  and  the  coal  that  keep 
us  warm,  to  help  the  farmer  plow  and  harrow  the 
ground  in  the  springtime,  to  draw  in  the  hay  and  the 
grain  in  the  autumn,  and  to  trot  cheerfully  along  the 
country  road  when  the  children  take  a  ride?  Oh! 
I  hope  the  farmer  gives  him  a  good,  dry  bed  to  sleep 
upon,  a  manger  of  hay  and  a  measure  of  oats  when 
he  is  hungry.  I  hope  he  combs  and  smooths 
Dobbin's  black  coat  well,  and  puts  a  blanket  on  his 
back  when  the  weather  is  cold.  I'm  sure  the  farmer 
wouldn't  cut  off  Dobbin's  shiny  black  tail  for  the 
world,  for  how  could  Dobbin  drive  away  the  flies 
that  trouble  him,  without  his  tail?  I  know  that 
there  is  always  plenty  of  fresh  water  for  Dobbin  to 
drink  whenever  he  is  thirsty,  and  that,  sometimes, 
the  children  give  him  a  lump  of  sugar  to  eat.  The 
farmer  never  lets  Dobbin  lose  a  shoe,  I'm  sure,  for 
fear  he  might  go  lame,  but  always  takes  him  to  the 

blacksmith  if  only  a  nail  is  loose." 
********* 

Buzz  z  z  z!  buzz  z  z  z!  sounded  close  to  Ethel's 
ear.  She  opened  her  eyes  and  looked  about.  There 
she  sat  upon  a  bench  in  the  park.  The  sun  had 


Ethel's  Friends.  119 

gone  down  behind  the  tall  buildings,  and  it  was 
almost  dark.  The  pretty  elfin  in  green  had  vanished. 
Her  country  friends  were  nowhere  to  be  seen.  A 
bee's  gauzy  wings  and  yellow  legs  were  disappear- 
ing in  the  distance.  "There  goes  another  of  my 
friends,"  said  Ethel.  "I  think  he  must  have  come  to 
tell  me  that  it  is  time  to  go  home." 

So  Ethel  ran  home  and  told  her  mother  all  about 
the  fairy  and  her  friends.  "Oh,  mamma!  do  you 
suppose  the  fairy  really  and  truly  took  me  to  the 
country?"  said  Ethel. 

"No,"  said  mamma,  "I  think  my  little  girl  was 
asleep  and  dreaming;  but,  for  all  that,  the  animals 
on  the  farm  are  really  among  our  very  best  friends." 

"Yes,  I  know  that,"  said  Ethel,  "how  I  wish  I 
could  see  them!"  And  for  many  days  after  her 
wonderful  dream  Ethel  never  went  to  the  park 
without  thinking  of  how  the  little  fairy  in  green 
took  her  to  visit  all  her  friends  in  the  country. 


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1934 


AUG 


WAY  29  1941 


JUL  21  1942 


APR  27    1944 


9Apr'SOMB 


16  OeeSlAT 


mi 


3Apr'6\EEX 


REC'D  LD 


LD  21-50w?-fi 


63359 


261096 


